Sunday, February 6, 2011

Vedic Vastu - the ancient Indian Science and Technology of Design and Construction



The design regime for the Vastu architect follows specific parameters:

1. Orientation and siting considerations
2. Building Layout with regard to a grid called "Vastu Purusha Mandala"
3. Dimensioning with regard to the client¹s birth time
4. Exterior door locations
5. Brahmastan
6. Room Placement
7. Height

Lesson 14 - the Vastu Design Process

While the ancient Vedic Vastu has to do with architecture and town planning, I'm positive that Graphic Design can be a two-dimensional mirror of architecture and that when one learns the principles of one design discipline they can apply it to other design disciplines.


MP3 on Vedic Vastu with Ron Quinn
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They are [Vastu] but Shastras replete with technological material and measures, based on unique Science of Energy and Matter, Time and Space & Space and Spatial Form, so far not recorded in the history of the land of their origin.


There is a Tamil [language of Vastu] expression for signifying death: "Kaalamanan". This literally means that one has merged with "Time" or "dissolved in time". This is very much expressive of the scientific concept of time as held in the Indian tradition of Vaastu. "Time" signifies growth of the physical body and the end of that body. Time creates, sustains and erases life. This concept is not only applicable to objects in the universe, but also the universe itself. The universe itself is a product of time.

In India the Tala measure is most familiarly applied to the field of Music and Dance, but that same Tala system has been in force for centuries in the domain of sculpture, architecture and poetry. This Tala measure is also denoted by another term, rhythm, which is used in the fields of music and dance all over the world. This Tala rhythm is used in the design of residential buildings, temple structures and sculptural forms. In the past, it was also used in designing furniture, vehicles and household utensils.

The science behind these measurements has its origin in the vibration of the amorphous space filling in and surrounding the universe. The universe itself is a hypersensitive living organism.

The human body itself has undergone this rhythmic growth. The full-fledged human body consists of eight units of measure: 1.3.2.2. This corresponds to the length of the face - 1 talam, torso - 3 talams, thigh - 2 talams and lower leg - 2 talams.


Angula Samkhya Table


The units of Time and Space

Table of Space units:
8 Anus = 1 Car dust
8 Car dusts = 1 Immi
8 Immi = 1 Ellu(sesame seed)
8 Ellu = 1 Nel(Unhusked paddy grain)
8 Nel = 1 Angula(Finger measure)
6 Angulas = 1 Taalam
12 Angulas = 1 Vitasti
24 Angulas = 1 Hasta
8 Hastam = 1 Dandam
8 Dandam = 1 Rajju


Table of Time units:
8 Ganam = 1 Lavam
8 Lavam = 1 Kaashtam
8 Laashtam = 1 Nimisham
8 Nimisham = 1 Tudi
8 Tudi = 1 Kuru
2 Tudi = 1 Druham
2 Druham = 1 Laghu
2 Laghu = 1 Kuru
3 Laghu = 1 Puvadam
4 Laghu = 1 Kaaka Padam

Table of Vaastu Units
1 Angula 1-3/8 inches
24 Angulas = 1 Hasta 33 inches

From these tables we can see that the number "eight" is a very significant quality of universal measure. When "eight is taken as "Time" it is called rhythm and when it is taken as "Space", it is also called rhythm. The former is rhythmic time and the latter is rhythmic space. These rhythms are derived from universal time and space and represent a universal order. These rhythms we call Taalam.

The architectural octave is the Vastu Purusha Mandala. The Manduka Vastu Purusha Mandala Has the layout of 8 x 8 = 64 units. This energy grid or luminous grid is the picture of the Ultimate - the unitary atom - going into a split or explosion for manifestation in the pattern of 8 x 8 units. This atom is the ultimate visual manifest form of Brahman. Brahmin is the ultimate rhythm. It is the rhythm of Brahmin that we pattern for the design of the building.
Lesson 9 - Spatial Measures

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