Overview
Delivery mode: 4-day tutorial
Designer & Instructor: Smt. Sashikala Ananth, architect and Vaastu expert, trained in human behavioral science, who has studied under the guidance of Shri. Ganapati Sthapati – one of the leading experts of Vaastu
Medium of instruction: English
Dates: January 16-19, 2020
Introduction
Come explore the science, technology and application of India’s systematic approach to space, architecture and design, through the Vaastu Shaastras in the modern context.
This 4-full-day tutorial workshop gives an in-depth overview of Indic science and technology of making vibrant and healthy spaces.
Target audience
- Students, teachers, and practitioners of arts, design & architecture
- Professionals from other disciplines interested in getting an overview of Indic principles and perspectives in the above disciplines
- Wellness and psychology practitioners and students interested in exploring the Indic view on space and its relation to well-being
- Application builders and solution providers interested in model-based reasoning based on Indic shaastras
Expected outcomes
- An appreciation for the scientific rigor and depth of the ancient Vaastu Shaastra, its value in contemporary society and its application areas
- A conceptual understanding of the fundamental principles of the Indic science of spaces
- Insight into how it affects the following modern disciplines: art, design and architecture
- An appreciation for how space affects holistic wellness
Topics at a glance
- Principles, philosophies, and manifestation: Vaastu Shilpa Shastra covers the subjects of the individual element (Vastu) and the space it occupies (Vaastu). The subject can be explained as Architecture and Sculpture/Design of interior elements.
- The theory of design, understanding materials, understanding ratios and proportions, the importance of aesthetics, the relationship between
the occupant/user and the built space, response of wellness or delight in the user - Benefits that accrue from the application of Ayadi or sacred measures
- Responsibility and qualifications of the designer
- Working with energies and understanding the natural system
- Creating a community using the interactive nature of space and form
- Design as an inclusive process, where the user can be a part of the solution
Perspective
The Vaastu Shilpa Shastra is one of the oldest design systems in the world. The great cities of Ayodhya, MohenjoDaro, and Lanka were designed on its principles. The Vaastu Shilpa Shastras are a compendium of architecture and sculpture that goes back to the Buddhist era in written records, and pre dates this by hundreds of years in its understanding. The knowledge base is available in 64 texts known as the Vaastu Shilpa Shastras. In addition to this, there are scores of texts in various languages of the Indian sub-continent.
They speak of
• Site selection
• Understanding wind, rain and thermal patterns
• Ratios and proportion
• Functionality and aesthetics
• Inner delight of the designer and the user
• Harmonizing with unseenenergies
• Cosmology and beneficial measures
The grammar of design and application is contained in terse sutras in the texts. The enormous field knowledge and experiential data was handed down orally through the Parampara Siksha teaching methods. This is true of all the Indic knowledge systems including the Vedas.
Till the 16th century, the entire built environment as well as the creation of sculptural and craftware was under the control of the Vishwakarma, the artisans and the craft communities. Unlocking the wisdom of these principles and truths requires not only knowledge of the language, but considerable field experience and the ability to transform this knowledge to a contemporary application. Smt. Sashikala Ananth is such a practitioner, bringing the traditional knowledge alive with her insights into its contemporary relevance.
