Vastu Shastra

Griha Pravesh puja is a Hindu housewarming ceremony that I had never heard of before until my soul mate was invited to drop in on one by one of her team. She came home with a collection of leaves and fruit and jasmine blossom which now sits in our kitchen. 

According to Vastu Shastra, the traditional Hindu system of architecture based on ancient wisdom, a house is made up of five elements – the sun, earth, water, fire and wind. The proper alignment of these elements in a house brings happiness good health and prosperity. I started reading up on this and it is fascinating. Like Feng Shui there is a very deeply rooted set of traditions which are linked to other practices such as astrology and religious belief. Apparently we are in big trouble having a black front door, which explains a lot. It’s sensible if you think about it. A black front door more or less says to visitors “abandon hope all ye who enter here”. Not exactly welcoming. I shall now make it a priority to do something about ours although I am not sure whether to paint it, decorate it or replace it. 

There is much wisdom in Vastu Shastra. I particularly liked the emphasis on keeping down the clutter and having a meditation space free of electronics. I was pleased on consulting Google maps to find that our East facing living room is a positive thing, and it is true that in the mornings when it is sunny throughout the year the room does bask in a wonderfully warm glow that fits with the idea of positive energy.

You can be dismissive of concepts as such as these but the older I get the more receptive I am to what lies below the surface of the language and traditions. My soul mate bringing back leaves and fruit from someone who is moving into a new house felt like a gift and made me think about our own home. And the Jasmin smelt gorgeous.