SCIENTIFIC VASTU | STORE ROOM | An Architect Explains

The Store Room is the place for storing grains, foodstuff and/or junk in the house for their ready availability and use in emergency. There are 2 types of store rooms- the food storeroom (pantry) and the junk storeroom.

The pantry or food store room is usually near the Kitchen whereas the junk store room may be under a staircase or an unused room or a closet. Either kind of store room should be free from dampness, fungus and bacteria that can spoil the foodstuff and damage the stored items. So the location of the storeroom in the house is important.

How can you decide on a location in the house, that is dry and damp-free which will be suitable for the store room? Vastu Shastra takes into account the Sun’s heat and the wind directions when laying down guidelines for the positioning of the store room. So to know more about locating the store room correctly, read on…..

Listed here under the following headings, are some of the Vastu Guidelines for a store room. Since Vastu is a science, every guideline is based on logic and reasoning. As an Architect, I have attempted to explain each of these guidelines rationally and scientifically under the following headings, so that you have a choice and can decide what you want to follow or don’t instead of looking at Vastu as a superstition:

What is the best location for a store room?
What is the best location for doors and windows in the store room?
What are the Vastu guidelines for a food store room?
What are the Vastu guidelines for a junk store room?
What are the ideal vastu colours in a store room?

 

WHAT IS THE BEST LOCATION FOR A STORE ROOM?

Ideally, position the food Store room, also called the Pantry in the South portion of building. The Scientific reason –  In this position, the Store room is adjacent to the Kitchen which ideally is in the South-East and can be accessed conveniently. Furthermore, the rooms in the South will be dry and moisture-proof since the Sun is in the South portion of the house by noon and the intensity of the heat is highest in this direction and remains so till sunset. Therefore it is ideal to have the food Store room in the South as it should be free from dampness which encourages the growth of fungus and bacteria that can spoil the foodstuff.  

Locate the junk Store room in the North-West or West directions: The Scientific reason – The West and North-West get heated up more than the other directions because of the hot afternoon Sun and the re-reflection of it’s infra red rays from the ground. Consequently, less used rooms like a store room can be placed here as it will serve as a buffer and prevent the rest of the house from getting heated up. Moreover it will remain dry and moisture proof due to the heat, and as a result it will be suitable for storing things that wont be used often.

WHAT IS THE BEST LOCATION FOR THE DOORS AND WINDOWS IN A STORE ROOM?

Place the door to the Store room in any direction preferably in the East, North and South-East. The Scientific reason – To access the Store room from the Kitchen (which is ideally in the South-East corner), the door to the store room has to be on the East or South-East walls.

The door to the Store room must open into the store room and have two shutters. The Scientific reason – A door with 2 shutters is usually larger than the average single shutter door.  Thus, a larger door to the Store room will facilitate the easy transfer of large food bags and junk stuff.

Keep the windows in the Store room on the Eastern or Western walls. The Scientific reason – The germicidal sunrays from the East will help to keep the store room bacteria/fungus-free. Likewise the hot sun rays from the West will keep it dry and moisture proof.

WHAT ARE THE  VASTU GUIDELINES FOR A FOOD STORE ROOM?

If it is possible, keep the height of granary room more than other rooms. The Scientific reason – A room with a high ceiling will be more airy and will allow for the movement of air around the large quantities of stored foodstuff. In addition, it can benefit from the sunlight on all sides as it’s roof is higher than the rest of the rooms.

Store things like oil, ghee and gas cylinder etc in the South-East corner of the Store room. The Scientific reason – The South-East is considered the Aagneya (Fire) corner and therefore, keep the combustible materials here.

Store sacks containing annual provisions in the South-West direction. The Scientific reason – The South-West direction remains hottest throughout the afternoon and so the sacks stored in this direction will never get damp. Also the South-West is the place for heavy things.

Do not keep photographs or idols of gods in the store room.  Do not burn any incense here. This is not the place for doing any auspicious work.  The Scientific reason – The store room is a stuffy place and unsuitable for meditation and prayer. Moreover, a lit lamp, incense stick is dangerous since there are many combustible items in the store room. 

Avoid any kind of empty container in the Store room. Keep something in all the containers. The Scientific reason – If the empty containers are not refilled from time to time, you will not have what you need when required. Psychologically too, you may feel there is shortage of food at home.

Remove all the cobwebs from the granary. The Scientific reason – Cobwebs form when a place is not dusted nor accessed that often. The store room should be accessed everyday to make sure there is flow of air and ensure that the provisions are continuously used up: otherwise there will be a lot of wastage and pests will flourish.

Do not keep your important  documents, cash or jewellery in the store room. The Scientific reason – The store room is accessible to maids, cooks and so it is unsafe to keep important stuff here. Furthermore, if there is a fire or if pests take over the place, cash and documents will be destroyed.

Never sleep in the store room as the vibrations tend to obstruct the sleep. The Scientific reason – A store room is a stuffy place with all the foodstuff/junk and is not at all suitable for sleep.

WHAT ARE THE VASTU GUIDELINES FOR A JUNK STORE ROOM?

The junk store room is meant for storing dead articles, so people should not occupy it. It is not a place for living, sleeping or such activities. The Scientific Reason-The unused articles emanate dead energy which can affect an occupant adversely. Moreover, it is a stuffy place and not suitable for sleep.

The store room must be neat and organised. The Scientific Reason – An organised and neat store room allows you to find what you are searching for.

Avoid keeping broken, waste material which cannot be used anymore in the house. The Scientific Reason- The waste materials or articles occupy useful space and are a source of negative energy as they are ‘dead’ and useless.  Therefore, throw away all broken and unused stuff.

The junk store room is the ideal place for storing heavy material. However, always leave the eastern side vacant in the store room.  The Scientific Reason-  The eastern side is best suited for windows which will admit the useful light into the store room and keep it free from dampness and fungus. Hence keep the store room vacant.

Have a window in the junk storeroom, preferably in the East or North direction; a window in the west direction is also not bad. The Scientific Reason- A junk store room is not often used and foul smells may form and accumulate. So there should be ventilation in this room, otherwise the toxic gases can be harmful to someone entering the room. 

Avoid storing any watery element in this area. There should not be any dampness or cracks in the walls. The Scientific Reason- Dampness in a store room can create havoc to the stored materials. After that, you might as well throw away the items rather than keep them if there is any form of dampness because fungus has a creepy way of spreading and taking over the whole house.

The flooring should be even throughout; uneven flooring is inauspicious. The Scientific Reason- the joints between the uneven flooring can accumulate dust and dampness. Also dragging things on an uneven floor can be tiresome.

WHAT ARE THE IDEAL COLOUR FOR A STORE ROOM?

The ideal colours for a store room are tints of grey or blue. Avoid yellow and white. The Scientific reason – Yellow and white colours energise the room whereas blue and grey are soothing earthy colours that are suitable for natural food produce.

If you want to make the rest of the rooms of your house/apartment also Vastu compliant, then go to:

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