For any building the site (Kshetra) is the basic requirement and utmost care must be taken in it's selection. Normally an Architect or Vaastu Shilpi is brought into the scene only at the designing stage but it is advisable to involve him at the stage of buying the site itself.

In selection of the site the following aspects should be taken care of:

(1) Types of Earth : Earth is classified according to it's colour brick red, dark brown; white, red, yellow, mixed colour, black and also according to their smell, taste, texture, etc., Black and clayey soil is not good for construction and while designing the foundation/footings, the load bearing capacity of the soil should be ascertained. Sites with big boulders, anthills or where murder or burial has taken place and those with loose or filled-up earth should be avoided.

(2) Location and Environment : As far as possible the site should be Ievel or sloping towards North and East or North-East. If it is a small one, which normally is the case in the towns or cities, there should not be any big trees like Aswatha (Peepul), Mango, Banyan, Tamarind etc., whose roots and branches may cause damage to the building. If the site is big then the building area should be sufficiently away from them. Site which has fertile earth, flowering plants, fruit trees, grass etc., is good and sites without the source of ground water should be avoided. Those abutting temples, ashramas, schools, colleges, kalyana mantapas are not advisable for obvious reasons and sites behind Vishnu temple or to the left of Durga temple are also not good and it should be at least 50 meters away from a Shiva temple. [Any site to the South or West of hills shall be rejected, but site to the East or North of hills should be accepted.] This is not possible in aIl the cases.

Surrounded by oceans, the landmasses have heights and depths of mountains, plains and plateaus and are enlivened by veins of rivers and network of streams and lakes. On and beneath the surface of earth lie the soils and minerals in varying degrees that make life infertile or prosperous. The revolution of earth gives us the day and night that regulates the activities of plants and living beings. The tilted rotation of the earth around the sun sets the rhythm of the seasons, which are important for vegetation and harvests. Whether each location is cool or warm is largely determined by it's relative distance from the equator and it's height above the sea level. Climate not only plays a great part in composition of soils but also affects the character of plants, animals and most importantly the man's energy.

Hidden aspects of natural laws give birth to life and for better or for worse, the rules of nature command that life and therefore a close adjustment to the natural background becomes a bare necessity.

The characteristics and composition of soil are very important for two reasons. One is the load-bearing capacity of the soil that defines the type of foundation to be employed, the other is the ability of the land to sustain vegetation. The designer would (traditionally) observe the site for one season at least to ascertain whether the soil is fertile holds water and sustains life forms such as plants, birds and animals. Any soil that is incapable of regeneration would be set-aside as bad for human habitation. From an ecological point of view this analysis is extremely wise and can be added to the responsibilities of the designer.

Testing of selected sites

METHOD 1

This involves digging a hole in the plot to be tested of 0.5 metres in width, breadth and depth. The soil taken out is filled again into the hole without any noticeable wastage. There are three results possible in this test. If after filling the pit some balance in soil remains, then the owner of the plot on construction of the factory will enjoy wealth and prosperity.

If the pit is entirely filled with no balance in the excavated soil, then the owner of the plot who constructs a factory on it will have a smooth life and will meet all his commitments in life. However his chances of becoming wealthier or richer is lower.

If the pit cannot be completely filled with the excavated soil, then it is a problematic plot. The owner will suffer physically and mentally and suffer from want of the better things in life. Care should be taken to make sure that the entire soil excavated is carefully retained without wastage till the end of the experiment.

METHOD 2

A pit is excavated in the same dimensions as above (0.5 metre cubed) and it is fiIled with water. Then a person is to walk hundred steps away and return (this was an appropriate technology to measure a small space of time in an era without watches and clocks).

If the level has dropped below one fourth, that is if less than 12.5 em of water is standing, then it is undesirable and the plot will give bad results.

If it is between 12.5 em to 25 em it will give medium results.

If the water level is more than 50 percent, than the plot is one that will provide excellent results. The lesser water that is absorbed the better.

METHOD 3

Dig a pit of fore arm length, breadth and width (approximately the same dimensions as the above experiments) and fill it with water up to the brim just as the sunsets. Just before sunrise the next day check the level. If the water level has dropped only marginally, then the plot will bring excellent results in future.

If the water is 50 percent only, then problems will be faced in completing the factory but things will be okay by the end.

If water is completely dry, problems will abound.

If the pit is fully dry and we find cracks at the bottom, it indicates death and destruction. Such a plot should not be chosen.

Facing of plots is not considered important. There is a wrong notion that north- and east-facing plots are better than south and west-facing plots. This is not true. However, in the case of north- or east-facing plots, half of the plot that lies towards north or east is the sensitive portion. The rear half is dense. Thus the building can come up in the rear half allowing for a front garden. This increases aesthetics as well.

This advantage will not be available if the plot faces an approach road on South or West. Here, the sensitive half is in the rear and the dense portion capable of taking the load of the building is in the front. The building has to come up in the first half facing the road. A owner of such a plot has to reconcile himself for a backyard and garden as he will have less space in the front. If this is acceptable, by all means purchase a west- or south-facing plot.

The problem arises when an owner of a south- or west-facing plot uses the rear half for building and goes for a garden in the front. This will make the subtle energy areas in north and east come under great strain, thus affecting their strength adversely. The dense areas which are in the front are negatively strong and thus the whole structure is placed in a distorted field. Most of the ill-effects ensue because of this problem. So before you purchase a plot decide the first question; would you like a garden and wide open space in the front or the rear?