The family of Kanippayyur hails  from Kunnamkulam in Thrissur District, Kerala.
According to legend, architecture and construction of temples, residences, etc. were devolved upon a few Namboodiri  families after the creation of Kerala by Parasurama, and Kanippayyur was prominent among them. The family believes that a judicial mix of ancient wisdom and modern techniques is required in any endeavor, be it Architecture, Astrology or Medicine.

In the interview with Sreeni K.R, K.K Hareethan Namboodiripad,Traditional Architect  ure expert speaks about his vision,the need and benefit of Vastu, the latest fad in Architectural Science.

Can you define Vasthu Vidya? Do you believe it is a complete science? 
The Sanskrit word 'Vasthu' means 'dwelling place' and it is derived from the root verb 'Vas' that means to 'dwell'. In short  Vasthu Vidya is the study of designing & positioning of architectural structures.

Vasthu finds its references in Vedic knowledge and has come down to us through these years.  It is believed to be an immortal science that considers the five elements - Fire, Water, Air, Earth and Ether - as forces which originate from a single source but have different characteristics. We are born out of them, we grow with them, we live in them, we are surrounded by them and we go back to them. So why not channelise them during 'life here'? Vasthu helps us utilize this energy to make our lives comfortable.

Vasthu Vidya, Astrology and Thanthra – are the three fields inter related? Yes, of course, when we start to construct any kind of structure, we first study the nature of land, jathakam of land, the "star" (bharani,karthika etc.) of land. We  start  the construction by laying the foundation stone after studying the jathakam of the land lord. The star of the land should match with the star of the landlord and before housewarming, we should do Vasthubali & install Panchasirrassu at the most auspicious place of a house.A tantric does these poojas as only tantrics know the rituals that form part of their Tantric studies. So these are all co-related.

The scientist community generally refer to Vastu Shastra as mere superstition. Do you think they are justified in what they say?I don't think so because when we do the construction without causing harm to the five basic elements namely earth,fire,water,air and ether,we can live without problems for years.

Where would you trace the origin of Vastu?

The Vasthu originates from Stapathya Veda, a part of the fourth Veda namely Atharva Veda.

    What are the principles that are followed during construction?

So many factors are to be considered before constructing a building – the scope of the land, the shape of the land, the slope of the land, the direction of the plot, the angle of the plot, the plants on the land, the water availability of the land, the position of the rooms,the shape of the rooms, the measurements of the rooms, the inner perimeter of each and every room, the shape of the buildings,the outer perimeter of the rooms, the height of the building, the adequate ventilation systems, etc.  

Silparatnam describes in detail the methodology followed during temple construction.This very ancient book was originally written in Sanskrit by Sreekumaran. Manushyalaya Chandrika is a combination of the topics derived from various books such  as Mayamatham,Prayogamanjari, Bhaskareeyam, Manumatham,Gurudevapadthathi, and Harijanam.

Kanippayyur Mana is,till date, considered the final authority in the field of Vasthu.What differentiates you from others?

Heredity is one of the major factors which makes the difference. The family believes that a judicial mix of ancient wisdom and modern techniques is required in any endeavor be it - Architecture, Astrology, Medicine.

As a subject, what is the future of Vastu in Kerala?

Amazingly enough, Vasthu is going to last as long as the construction industry remains.Vastu Sastra is the science of healthy and hygienic house building. The adherence to Vastu Sastra in the construction of dwelling structures provides prosperity, disease-free and peaceful life all the while . After construction of houses, every household items should be placed according to Vastu rules. In most cases, It drives away the negative energy and if we add a few things, the overall positive energy increases and ill-effects get tamed. It is not only related to houses but also  to any thing related to construction.