"Dharamshala" (Devanagari:
धर्मशाला;
ITRANS: Dharmashaalaa; IAST: Dharmaśālā)
is a Hindi word (derived from Sanskrit) that is a
compound of dharma (धर्म) and
shālā (शाला). An
approximate translation into English would be
'spiritual dwelling' or, more loosely, 'sanctuary'.
Rendering a precise literal translation into English
is problematic due to the vast and conceptually rich
semantic field of the word dharma.
In common Hindi usage, the word dharamshala
refers to a shelter or rest house for spiritual pilgrims.
Traditionally, such dharamshalas (pilgrims' rest houses) were
commonly constructed near pilgrimage destinations (often located
in remote areas) to give visitors a place to sleep for the night.
When the first permanent settlement was created in the place now
called Dharamshala, there was already one such pilgrims' rest
house existing on the site, and the settlement took its name from
that dharamshala.
Dharamshala is generally a structure used for
hospitality in different occasions. Dharamshala’s are
constructed as a part of or adjacent to temples or other spiritual
places to rest people hailing for different purposes. Precisely
dharamshala’s are resting place for pilgrims and must be
constructed in such a way that gives pilgrims sound rest and peace
of mind. Vastu for dharamshala is important because being a part
of a spiritual place it an obligation to make it Vastu complaint.
Some basic Vastu tips for Dharamshala are as follows:
Entrance of Dharamshala must be in Eastern
side having huge entrance door.
Dharamshala must be constructed in such a way
that people resting or sitting their face North or East.
Toilets should always be constructed in
North-west or Western side of dharamshala but make sure it’s
not adjacent to temple wall.
Large windows in dharamshala must be given on
Eastern side.
If there are separate rooms in dharamshala
then they must be constructed on North-west side.
North-eastern side should be kept open and
empty to maintain the flow of energies or worship is ideal in
this place.
Owner of dharamshala must own South-western
room.
Under-water tank in dharamshala must be
constructed in North-east and over-head tank in South-west
only.
Open garden area is ideal in North-eastern
zone.
Vastu Consultation of
Dharamshala involves a thorough analysis:
The ideal place for the construction of the
dharamshala.
The direction and placement of main entrance
The direction and placement of the windows
The direction and placement of the rooms
The direction and placement of the toilets
The direction and placement of the meditation
room
The direction and placement of the stairs
The direction and placement of the overhead
tank
The direction and placement of the
underground tank
