Design of Settlements in the Vaastu Shastras

The architectural treatises of medieval India, the vaastu shastras, are based upon a metaphysical design philosophy which underlies the construction of furniture, vehicles, building details, buildings, and settlements. Design geometry is an abstraction of an anthropomorphic form called purusha which is also a symbol of self. The vaastu shastras outline a theory of environmental design based upon person-place identity. Both sacred and secular structures are governed by its design principles. Design of settlements is an elaboration of architectural design at an enhanced scale, using a similar vocabulary of forms, their symbolic meaning, and design expertise.