Wednesday 29 April 2015

Feng Shui - Water Source water needs to be treated with respect

 Feng Shui - Water Source water needs to be treated with respect

In ancient china, Feng shui was not an esoteric discipline practiced only by certain tribal members it was an integral part of native culture, something that touched everyone's life. The development of Chinese culture is reflected in Feng Shui. Throughout the development of the human civilization, new philosophies were combined with life space placement, beginning with astrology, astronomy and mathematics, which supplied intricate charts and designs to help farmers and even peasants build palaces, public buildings and Residences.


Feng Shui with its strong links with principles of Taoism is not just a powerful aid in improving and achieving various aspirations in our life but transforms the energy of our place of dwelling. Before Taoism was founded in ancient China, there were shamans who lived in harmony with their natural environment. These shamans often dwelled in mountain hideaways and served local communities by interpreting the omens, predicting weather cycles and were spiritual links between the local population and the invisible mystic world.


Taoism is attributed to a philosopher named Lao Tzu during the Chou Dynasty around 580 Be. After many years of study he became enlightened and traveled far and wide in China. His Insights and thoughts were so practical and when he documented it , it came to be known as Tao Te Ching. This book on Philosophy a manual of self- transformation and meditation written about the "Tao" (the way) got to be known as TAOSIN.if there is one Taoist belief most strongly associated with fengshui, it is this: - nature is the ultimate power and humans, as part of nature, benefit by following the natural laws. With the increase in popularity of Fengshui, the belief that placing enhancers and Gadgets as found in many Fengshui books and stores around the world is the real solution - to aligning and correcting a space has become fashionable. Many have attempted Fengshui as a past time or hobby. This is alright to the extent that some basics would be followed and the space cleared and opened out to receive the positive energy but certainly not a tool to experiment with. We need to remember that Authentic fengshui calls for a detailed analysis of the space and its afflictions and the symbols and Gadgets are part of the enhancing process of the corrective measures and the Gadgets or symbol do not become the complete remedy to a defect in the building. The Eastern Countries where Feng Shui is strictly being followed have immense respect for the Feng Shui masters Knoweldge and audit of the premises. The Fengshui Masters known as Geomancers (those who are able to understand the earth's Energy field and balance it) are valued for the skill of their "eyes" which locates the defect and affliction during an audit. Each house is unique and the layouts and orientations of the furniture and the people living in it are different and it is akin to the finger print of an individual for which a copy or replica does not exist so when fengshui is adapted for corrections, it becomes very specific ..

When we speak about orientations and directions a proper judgement and understanding of the advanced Compass school is quite essential in order that errors are not committed in identification and placement.


A tricky situation is positioning Water either in the form of a pond, fountain or even swimming pools. In Feng Shui, water signifies wealth and plays a major role in Fengshui recommendations. One needs to be cautious as excess water or large water is a source of potential danger and I-ching (the book of changes originating from Taoism) says that "water needs to be treated with respect". Water features are good (on the basis of general recommendation) when placed in North or East. If it is a waterfall ensure that the flow of water is towards the home or door or atleast a window and not flowing out of the house.

Water Ponds are very good in North and if they contain Water lily or Lotus it is considered more auspicious. There are many homes with swimming pools and one should remember that although water or swimming pool at the back of the house is not very good, it is exempted if the family spends more time there as this  transforms it into Yang (positive) energy due to the activity of the people. However if the swimming pools at the backyard is with water and very quiet, it is very bad due to the build up of Yin (negative) energy.
Remember that water brings in good wealth luck but could also have extreme negative effects and imbalances if placed in the wrong direction or if they are too big and overpowering. I personally do not recommend large swimming pools in a home as they are overpowering to the home and store excessive amount of water.
Anything in excess does have its negative implications and we need to keep in mind that Feng shui is all about creating the Right Balance that is balancing the YIN and the YANG and restore equilibrium in our place of dwelling. Exercising caution and a proper judgement are the finaanswers prior to implementation of any changes.
More on the theory and practicalities of Fengshui would be given to you in the corning weeks bumeanwhile please do ensure that your house is Free of clutter.




Monday 27 April 2015

VAASTU SHASTRA FOR GOOD AND HAPPY LIVING


 VAASTU SHASTRA FOR GOOD AND HAPPY LIVING
It is a known fact that we all generally worship Vastu Purusha on occasions of beginning of Construction of the building, laying foundation of the main gate and at the time of entering the building since we believe that there lives Vastu god in every piece of land irrespective of the size and nature of the land.
There is a story in the scriptures about the existence of Vastu god in the land. It is said that as a result of the battle that took place between the demon Andhakasur and the lord Shankar a few drops of lord's sweat fell on the ground which in turn resulted in the birth of a horrifying, huge humanlike figure. On seeing the emergence of such a satanic figure, all the gods were scared and approached Lord Brahma and prayed him for safety of their lives from the mighty and ugly horrendous figure. Lord Brahma exhorted the gods to fling the demonly horrendous figure on to the earth with it's face downwards. All gods followed the lord Brahma's instructions immediately and felt relieved from the worries. However, the demonly figure in turn prayed Lord Brahma saying that he was part of their universe and his body too belonged to his authority and the Gods therefore cannot throw him to the earth for no fault of his. He then prayed Lord Brahma to do justice to him and also proposed him as to how he can help the gods, his tormentors and promised lord Brahma that he would be prepared to make every sacrifice that he may be required. 
Immensely pleased with the prayer and on considering the plight of the demonly figure, lord Brahma blessed him thus:
" since all the gods have started dwelling in your body, let them remain be seated in different parts of your body with all their affinity. From now on you will be known as Vastu god — Vastu Purusha — and all the people on the earth will worship you before embarking on any type of construction: be it any kind of township, pond, lake, fort, house, palace, etc., and those who do not worship you will meet their doom."
 Every human being on earth is accordingly obliged to worship Vastu Purusha before embarking on any structure. Vastu Purusha is lying in each bit of land in the following position. As blessed by Lord Brahma, a number of gods reside in the body of Vastu Purusha. Lord Mahadev is seated in the head portion, Jaya and Adithi on both shoulders, Apavatsa on the heart, Lord Brahma on the back slightly above waist and so on.
As stated above, worship of Vastu Purusha is normally done on three occasions — before embarking on any structures, laying the foundation for the main gate and before entering the premises on an auspicious day and time. Vastu shastra is for the welfare of mankind and have to be followed properly for preventing any damages which may have to be encountered on account of not adhering the Vastu principles.
The fundamentals of Vastu shastra are mostly based on the effects which are created on the earth by the planet Sun. Vastu Shastra tenets are based on five elements and in accordance with the position of gods ruling the direction so that the occupants live in peace and harmony — with nature and heavenly powers. The plans for the proposed building should be prepared taking into account the Vastu principles and after testing the land as prescribed in Vastu Shastra.
Vastu principles are based on five elements viz Earth, Water, Ether, Air and Fire which are abundant on earth as also in universe. These five elements did exist as part of the ancient Vastu shasra as they are today. Adherence of Vaastu principles in construction of any buildings have found such buildings to be sturdy and have withstood the test of times and have remained intact — even today. For instance, Pyramids built in Egypt thousands of year ago are still intact. Some of our temples which have been built long long ago are still strong and have survived and withstood the vagories of the nature. Infact Vasu Shastra has manifested itself freely in our temple structures. The notable ones are: Madurai Meenakshi Temple, Tirupathi Venkateshwara temple, Ujjain Mahankaleshwar Temple etc.

Vastu shastra principles give importance to the eight directions viz , East, West, North, South, South-East, South-West, North-East and North-West as these directions regulate the positive and negative energies and each of these directions are ruled by Gods and Planets. It is, therefore, necessary to follow the Principles of Vastu Shastra for the well being of the owners/occupants of the buildings be that for residential or commercial purpose. 


Saturday 25 April 2015

Elegant crockery display add charm to your house


 Elegant crockery display add charm to your house

Displaying your crockery in the right way will add to the Acharm of your home. Getting a crockery unit will not only enable you to show off your collection but also to protect it from dust. Having one made to suit your particular requirements is also affordable if you utilize the right material. You need not have to  stretch your budget to procure a good-looking as well as useful unit  for your crockery. A visit to second-hand shops may be able to get you a cheaper crockery unit which is in good condition if you so desire. You can also have glass shutters and mirror-backed shelves. Using quality wood for making the crockery unit will be expensive. 
Therefore, use of Laminated plywood provides a good finish to your crockery unit and it is not expensive. Particle board is another material which is reasonabley priced with outstanding features. It lasts long so long as it is utilized indoors and in places which are free of dampness. A unit made of this material can be painted to get elegance. Imported particle board units with better finish also are available in the market. Famous companies often use particle board of graded density to make high-quality units which combine good look with usefulness. If you go in for a built-in unit you can have  it in the kitchen for the best advantage. The right kind of lighting is the next requisite for an affordable crockery unit. You need more caution and better lighting while handling fragile crockery, so it is better to include a few lights in it. You can have battery-operated ones and install them yourself. It will become more pleasant looking with built-in lighting as well.
A sideboard can be used in place of a crockery cupboard. Dining room is the best place for placing a sideboard. This will serve for storage as well as space for serving food. Keeping serving dishes on the top along with some knick-knacks and a lamp would be a practical idea. The same choices in material can be used in this too as you used for the crockery unit. To add a touch of elegance, add glass fronted shutters. Drawers too will make it more functional for keeping cutlery, table mats and other items. If you have a concrete built-in unit you can clothe it with polished stone for a smooth finish.

For more : 




Friday 24 April 2015

ZOOM THROUGH YOUR HOME IN AN ELEVATOR


 ZOOM THROUGH YOUR HOME IN AN ELEVATOR

Having an elevator at home may be rather a novel concept, but it is a wonderful choice for comfort and convenience.

Home makers once looked upon it as only an option for the elderly but today lavish homes have it as a standard and status feature. Homes with two or more storeys can very conveniently fit in a residential elevator during the construction stage. An existing home can have one retrofitted with a few changes to the available space. It may not be a standard feature in Indian homes, but it may be wise to have one for future exigencies.

Design your elevator imaginatively as you would any other room in your home. The style of flooring and wall covering can be chosen by you with a chair or bench at the back in case you don’t wish to stand. Safety features commonly found in a commercial elevator should be fitted.

A residential elevator need not look like a general commercial elevator. If it is carefully planned it can be designed in such a way that it blends in with the design scheme of the house. It is added by some home owners when remodeling their homes.

You may need to make room for some structural changes in your home if you intend to fit a lift in an already existing home. You can do it without being too intrusive by attaching a shaft to the side of the house like a countryside chimney. An unused closet can be a location particularly if there is open space below the closet on the ground floor. Apart from space for the lift shaft there is need for a pit in the floor for the cables and a machine room.

A home elevator need not look odd in your home. They can be custom-designed according to your home décor and three basic areas of design for the home elevator exist-the door, the cab and the control panel. A streamlined wood door that can open on a hinge or be operated as a pocket door would be ideal. For the lowest level you can choose a stylish hardwood door and different styles for the remaining floors. If you are planning on connecting the elevators to the floor of your children’s or guest rooms you could design it according to their taste.

Residential lifts are available in different styles and sizes and they can be fitted into the existing floor plan in many ways. There may be varying styles and many ways to retrofit lifts into the existing floor plan. There are many models to suit most home-owner’s space needs. Residential elevators mostly use a winding drum or cable system, a counter-balance weight system or a hydraulic system. There must be cable system engines, nearby but they can be fitted in an attic. Several manufacturers are changing traditional machine systems according to the space limitations of a house.


It can be a good choice to have an elevator in your home keeping in mind the future scenarios. 


For more : 



Wednesday 22 April 2015

Proposed Land Acquisition Law – whether boon or bane?

 Proposed Land Acquisition Law

Acquisition of land for public utility shall always have social, economic and political repercussions and it is not an exception now. Inspite of the fact that our country is predominantly agricultural sector based, if our country need to grow, the growth has to be from non-agricultural sector such as manufacturing and services, for which there is no alternative other than to depend on the land to provide much needed infrastructure development.
With this idea, Special Economic Zones (SEZs) were created; however, this concept did not work out effectively for obvious reasons, and there was a huge controversy over the land acquisition, resulting in several projects coming to a standstill.
Recent studies reveal that delays in land acquisition is threatening to endanger investments in near term and may lead to create negative impact on our country’s economic growth, job opportunities and tax collection.
In order to ensure that the owner of the land under acquisition shall have a right to fair compensation and the entire process will take place in a transparent manner, the Government brought into existence the ‘Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition Bill 2013”. In this, it is said to have features like compensation for the owners to the extent of four times the market value in rural areas and twice in case of urban areas, and it provides that consent of 80% of the displaced owners is required in case of acquisition for private or public sector. Even though these features appear to be attractive for the beneficiaries, there are some other features associated with the bill, such as, no consent required in case of acquisition for PSUs, and that the Government can temporarily acquire land for three years and that there would be no provision for rehabilitation and resettlement in such cases, etc.
No doubt this proposed Law may be much advanced and fair replacement to the existing Law, but it is all the more important to ensure that the proposed Law is properly implemented for positive results.
Therefore, one has to wait and watch over a period of time to understand whether the proposed Law will really offer what it promised and will lay the road for fast track infrastructure development or simply remain beating round the bush. 


For more :