How to find North for Vastu: 4 methods
How to find North for Vastu: use a phone compass, satellite map or the sun, mark it on your plan and avoid magnetic vs true North mistakes.
By Aalok Trivedi · Published · Updated
Key takeaways
To find North for Vastu, stand at the centre of the room, hold a phone compass flat and away from metal, and confirm the reading on a satellite map. Mark the angle on your floor plan. A few degrees of error can move a room into a different zone.
A Vastu report is only as good as the North direction and boundary you set on your own plan. For a standard rectangular home or office, the automated grids answer most directional questions honestly; book a consultation when the plot is irregular or the decision is irreversible.
Key takeaways
To find North for Vastu, stand at the centre of the room, hold a phone compass flat and away from metal, and confirm the reading on a satellite map. Mark the angle on your floor plan. A few degrees of error can move a room into a different zone.
Why North matters in Vastu
Every Vastu zone is measured from North. If North is wrong, the kitchen, bedroom and entrance all land in the wrong zones and the whole reading changes.
Four ways to find North
1\. Phone compass
Stand near the centre of the room.
Hold the phone flat and wait for the reading to settle.
Move away from steel doors, speakers and lifts.
2\. Satellite map
Open the map in satellite view and find your building.
Compare roads and boundaries with your plan.
North is at the top of the map.
3\. A hand compass
A magnetic compass works well on a terrace or in an open area.
4\. The sun
The sun rises roughly in the East and sets roughly in the West. Use this only as a rough check.
How to mark North on your plan
1. Find North on site.
2. Check which way the top of the plan faces.
3. Note the angle between them.
4. Enter that angle in the North step of your report.
True and magnetic North
A compass shows magnetic North and maps show true North. Across most of India the difference is small, but on long plots it can shift zones. Confirm with a map.
Frequently asked questions
Can I use a phone compass for Vastu?
Yes, away from metal. Confirm on a satellite map.
Which North should I use?
Use one North, from the same method, for the whole analysis.
What if my building is not aligned with North?
That is common. Mark North's true angle on the plan; do not rotate the building.