Vastushastra, the ancient science of building construction and architecture, has now gone dot.com. It has been compiled in a CD-ROM by the JCL International Ltd.

The company will step into the information technology sector with multimedia products under "The Knowledge Series," and external affairs minister Jaswant Singh will formally launch the CD-rom in New Delhi in April.

Mr Ajay Poddar the managing director of JCL international told that the knowledge series purports to bring traditional knowledge of our civilization to the young people and professionals of today.

He said, "The ancient knowledge has been presented in a scientific, comprehensive and interactive manner."

He said they are also planning to launch other CD-roms on Ayurveda and alternate healing practices.

Dr Prabhat Poddar, a renown architect and founder of the Akash Research and Education Trust said, "The ancient scriptures entail profound knowledge on several issues, we know that Vastushastra, talks about "do and don'ts" in construction but does not give any rationale behind the principles. He added that the compilation of data on Vastushastra involved 15 years of research.

He further said that the shlokas and hymns of the Vedas are presented in a graphic manner and in the form of designs to make them more receptive and interesting. Dr Poddar said, "90 per cent of health problems originate because architects neglect energy principles that are the basis of Vastushastra. lf implemented in a scientific manner it can have positive impact on health and prosperity of a human being." According to him Vastushastra has become a belief system, with more of superstition than science. However Dr Poddar an architect experimented the principles of Vastushastra, studied its scientifc basis consonance to the theories of "cosmic energy, geobiology, magnetic field of the earth and energy emanated from the human body" and has compiled it in the CD.

The market price of the CD will be Rs 2,500. Mr Ajay Poddar said the company will go for "electronic marketing" as they plan to communicate to leading architects and designers.

Republished from Asian Age