Vastu shastra

Vastu shastra  is an ancient science of architecture and construction.These are texts found on the Indian subcontinent that describe principles of design, layout, measurements, ground preparation, space arrangement and spatial geometry. Vastu sastras incorporate traditional Hindu and in some cases Buddhist beliefs. The designs are intended to integrate architecture with nature, the relative functions of various parts of the structure, and ancient beliefs utilizing geometric patterns, symmetry and directional  alignments.

Vastu Shastra are the textual part of Vastu Vidya, the latter being the broader knowledge about architecture and design theories from ancient India. Vastu Vidya knowledge is a collection of ideas and concepts, with or without the support of layout diagrams, that are not rigid. Rather, they are models for the organization of space and form within a building or collection of buildings, based on their functions in relation to each other, their usage and to the overall fabric of the Vastu.Ancient Vastu Shastra principles include those for the design of Mandir , and the principles for the design and layout of houses, towns, cities, gardens, roads, water works, shops and other public areas.

The use of Vastu shastra in the modern era has been controversial. Some architects, particularly during India's colonial era, considered it arcane and superstitious.Other architects state that critics have not read the texts and that most of the text is about flexible design guidelines for space, sunlight, flow and function.

Jaipur, the capital of the Indian state of Rajasthan and called the pink city, was founded and built in early 1700s incorporating many of the layout principles for a city found in Vastu Shastras.Similarly, modern era projects such as the architect Charles correa's designed Gandhi Smarak Sangrahalaya in Ahmedabad, Vidhan Bhavan in Bhopal, and Jawahar KalaKendra in Jaipur, adapt and apply concepts from the Vastu Shastra Vidya. In the design of chandigarhcity, Le Corbusier  incorporated modern architecture theories with those of Vastu Shastra.