From House to City

Vastu's principles scale up — from a single dwelling to entire cities. Ancient Indian texts describe eight types of city layouts, each suited to different terrains and purposes. These plans were not merely religious — they were sophisticated urban engineering designs.

Eight Standard Town Layouts (Vastu Shastra)

        ┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
        │     EIGHT TYPES OF TOWN PLAN (Manasara)         │
        ├──────────────────┬──────────────────────────────┤
        │ 1. Dandaka       │  Linear / straight plan      │
        │ 2. Sarvatobhadra │  All-direction square plan   │
        │ 3. Nandyavarta   │  Coiled / labyrinth          │
        │ 4. Padmaka       │  Lotus-shaped, concentric    │
        │ 5. Swastika      │  Cross / swastika-shaped     │
        │ 6. Prastara      │  Spread-out, hierarchical    │
        │ 7. Karmuka       │  Bow-shaped (coastal)        │
        │ 8. Chaturmukha   │  Four-faced (entry on each)  │
        └──────────────────┴──────────────────────────────┘

Example — Sarvatobhadra (Square Plan)

                  N
        ╔═════════════════════════╗
        ║         Gate            ║
        ║  ┌───────────────────┐  ║
        ║  │     Brahmins      │  ║
        ║  │   ┌───────────┐   │  ║
        ║  │   │ Royal     │   │  ║
   W ═══║  │   │  Palace   │   │  ║═══ E
        ║  │   │ (Centre)  │   │  ║
        ║  │   └───────────┘   │  ║
        ║  │     Merchants     │  ║
        ║  └───────────────────┘  ║
        ║         Gate            ║
        ╚═════════════════════════╝
                  S

   - Concentric squares for caste/function
   - Royal palace at the centre
   - 4 main gates (cardinal directions)
   - Streets in grid pattern

Key Urban Planning Concepts

1. Site Selection (Pura Nirmana)

• Land sloping from west/south-west to north-east
• Proximity to a perennial water source (river, lake)
• Fertile soil for surrounding agriculture
• Naturally defensible (river/hills on one or more sides)

2. Zoning by Function A Vastu city was divided into clearly defined zones:

3. Streets and Road System

              ┌────────────────────────────┐
              │      RAJAMARGA             │   Main road
              │      (Royal road)          │   (East-West)
              ├────┬───────────────────┬───┤
              │    │                   │   │
              │    │                   │   │  Madhyamarga
              │    │     PALACE        │   │  (mid roads)
              │    │                   │   │
              ├────┼───────────────────┼───┤
              │    │                   │   │
              │    │                   │   │  Vithis
              │    │                   │   │  (lanes)
              └────┴───────────────────┴───┘

• Rajamarga (Royal road): Widest, runs East-West through the centre.
• Mahapatha (Main streets): Connect city gates to the centre.
• Vithis (lanes): Narrower, run between blocks.

4. Defensive Architecture

• Prakara — Outer fortification wall, often with a moat (parikha).
• Burj — Bastions / watchtowers at corners and gates.
• Gopuram — Monumental gateway with multiple stories.
• Dwara — Eight gates (one in each cardinal/intercardinal direction).

5. Water Management Vastu cities incorporated sophisticated water systems:

• Step-wells (Vavs) — for groundwater access in dry regions (e.g., Adalaj, Rani-ki-Vav).
• Tanks (Kalyani) — for ceremonial and drinking water.
• Drains (Praparyanta) — covered, sloped toward outflow.
• Aqueducts — channelling water from distant reservoirs.

Historical Examples

Mohenjo-Daro and Harappa (Indus Valley, 2500 BCE):

• Grid-pattern streets (north-south, east-west)
• Standardised brick sizes (4:2:1 ratio)
• Public granaries, baths, and drainage system
• Demonstrates that Vastu-like principles existed in the subcontinent over 4,500 years ago

Madurai (Tamil Nadu, since 6th BCE):

• Concentric square layout (Sarvatobhadra style)
• Meenakshi Temple at the centre
• Streets radiate outward; gates at each cardinal direction

Jaipur (1727 CE):

• Designed by Vidyadhar Bhattacharya under Sawai Jai Singh II
• Strict 9-square Vastu grid
• North-east block (Govindji temple) is the most sacred
• Each block (chowk) has its own market and function
• Now a UNESCO World Heritage City (2019)

Modern Relevance

Modern urban planning is rediscovering Vastu-like principles:

The continued vitality of cities like Varanasi, Madurai, and old Delhi — built on Vastu principles centuries ago — testifies to the enduring wisdom of this tradition.