North-east (Ishanya) in Vastu
The north-east, Ishanya, is the most sacred corner in Vastu, ruled by Ishana (Shiva) and linked with Jupiter and the water element. It is kept light, clean and open, and suits a pooja room, study or water source.
Also known as: ishan kon, ishan kona
Ishanya takes its name from Ishana, a form of Shiva, and is linked with Jupiter, the planet of wisdom. The head of the Vastu Purusha rests here, and the corner receives the gentle early-morning light, so tradition treats it as the most auspicious, spiritually charged zone of the home.
It is ideal for a pooja room, a meditation corner, a study or a quiet sitting area, and for an underground water source such as a borewell or sump. Keep it the lightest part of the home: low furniture, more windows, a lower floor level where possible, and plenty of daylight.
Avoid heavy wardrobes, clutter, a kitchen, a toilet, a staircase or a septic tank here. A north-east that extends outward is considered fortunate; a missing or cut north-east corner is one of the things consultants look at most carefully.
A common mistake is to put an overhead water tank in the north-east because ‘water belongs there’. Tradition separates the two: underground water suits the north-east, while a heavy overhead tank belongs in the south-west or west.