Vaastu Shastra, the ancient practice of construction or architecture, has made its presence felt in most houses today in some form or the other. You may call it a fad, trend or whim, but people who have faith in practices like Vaastu Shastra and Feng-Shui are shelling out huge sums. These corrective measures are believed to bring prosperity and good luck.

If you are buying a new house and believe in this remedy, then make sure you buy an already vaastu-compliant flat. The demand for vaastu-compliant residential property is picking in all metro-cities. A survey done by TeamLease Services, a staffing company, said 51 per cent of the Indian working population follows some kind of superstition at their work place.

Vaastu Shastra and Feng Shui deal with five elements such as the earth, fire, water, air, space and eight directions. Pujit Agarwal, managing director of Orbit Corporation says, that the company has been constructing vaastu-compliant flats for a decade now. “However no two houses on the same floor can resemble each other. Hence, making the apartment 100 per cent vaastu compliant is impossible. To design the flat according to vaastu, we spend anything between Rs 400 to 1000 per sq.ft.” In other words, a builder spends Rs 2 lakh on a 500 sq.ft flat additionally to make it vaastu-compliant.



The main objects used in Vaastu Shastra are gem-stones, metals, mirrors, pyramids, crystals and rudraksha therapy. Many consultants also recommend feng-shui based objects like colourfull balls, photos, mini waterfalls, fish-tanks and flags. Some even suggest changing the flat's layout. Doing vaastu remedies on an under-construction flat is cheaper than doing it in a readymade apartment. Tushar Savdavkar, a Mumbai-based Vaastu consultant says, “Even after additional expenses, making the house 100 per cent vaastu-compliant may not be possible because the house has already been built. Changing the layout to make it vaastu-compliant will involve huge expenditure.”



REMEDY RATE

(Cost in Rs ) PYRAMIDS

10,000 to 30,000 GEM-STONE THERAPY

18,000 to 20,000 METAL THERAPY

8,000 to 10,000

(for a 500 sq.ft flat) SHREE YANTRA DEVICE

19,000 RUDRAKSHA THERAPY

5,000 CRYSTAL THERAPY

1,250

(for 5 kg crystals) MIRROR THERAPY

4,000

These are some suggestions of vaastu complaint steps and may vary depending on the flat owner's requirements and affordability.

While your flat is under construction, a metal and gem-stone therapy is recommended. This involves putting a layer of metals which has to be a mix of lead, steel, copper, bronze and zinc. Since vaastu's success depends on how direction friendly the house is, this therapy is used to increase the weight in those directions which will attract the right energies. This cost will depend on the material required as per the area of the house. An approximate cost of this therapy would be Rs 10,000 for a 2BHK flat (approximately 500 sq ft).

Another step called '9 Ratnas' involves embedding gem-stones under the floor of your house. It is recommended that only original and certified gem-stones bought from a jeweller should be used for this. A 3 to 4 carat gem-stone will cost you anywhere between Rs 2,000-4,000 depending on its clarity. Since you need 9 of these gem-stones, you will incur a cost of Rs 18,000 to 20,000.

Some consultants may suggest you buy semi-precious stones, but these may not be as effective. Reason: their effect/impact is usually delayed by a good 18-24 months, says Savdavkar. Hence, taking both these therapies into consideration, one will have to shell out at least Rs 30,000.

There are some external changes that can help:

Rudraksha Therapy: Rudraksha therapy, which is said to control blood and heart related problems and keep the atmosphere cool and calm can cost up to Rs 5,000.

Shree Yantra: Installing a Shree Yantra in one's home or workplace is said to protect from all Vastu deficiencies. One can order these devices and objects through vaastu and astrology related portals You can buy this for about 19,000 on one of these portals.

Crystals therapy: There are tiny sand-like crystals and big crystal-stones. Tiny ones can be packed and embedded the wall. The cost depends on the number of areas you want to place it in.

Mirror therapy: Mirror therapy can cost you up to Rs 4,000 depending on the mirrors to put and relocate.

Pyramids: According to experts, pyramids made of copper are most effective. They should be mounted in the south, west and south-west walls. One will need at least 2 pyramids in each direction. All this put together will cost you anywhere between Rs 18,000 to 20,000, sometimes even up to Rs 30,000.

All these objects are available in wholesale. However the prices will differ from the patented ones to the non-patented ones. The price differential can be as high as 50-60 per cent. For instance, a promax pyramid will cost you up to Rs 30,000 if bought online, whereas the same pyramid can cost you less than Rs 10,000 if it's a non-patented one.