The kitchen is the domain of the housewife and normally she spends a large part of her day in the kitchen. So the kitchen should be planned in such a way that she not only enjoys cooking but she is able to produce healthy and nutritious food and also maintain peace and harmony in her home.

Mars controls the kitchen and resides there. He is a fiery planet and kitchen is a fiery place. Food articles, spices, knives, forks, steel utensils, kerosene, gas, oven etc., all are articles of Mars. Mars is also a malefic planet who is karaka for fire, food poisoning, injuries and accidents. So kitchen should be in a proper place in the house.

Location of Kitchen

According to Vastu, the best place for the kitchen is in the Southeast corner or Agneya kona. If this is not possible then kitchen can be made in the Northwest or in the East. However even then the cooking platform or gas should be in the Southeast corner of the kitchen.

If the kitchen is in the Northeast it causes wastage of food or shortage of food. It also causes heavy expenditure, wastage of money or bankruptcy. Naturally there are disputes, fights and bickering in the house resulting in lack of peace.

Kitchen in the North is extremely inauspicious. North is the domain of kubera. Mars afflicts this direction and this causes excessive expense.

Kitchen in Southwest creates family quarrels which makes life miserable.

Kitchen should not be made in or above or below the pooja room or the bedroom or the toilet.

One should never make the kitchen in the bedroom or sleep in the kitchen because Mars represents the kitchen and Venus represents the bedroom and sex. This combination can be inauspicious for the family.

The main reason for not keeping kitchen near a toilet is excretion, which the toilet is for. Rahu represents the toilet and filth combination of two malefics Mars and Rahu can cause fire in the house, blood impurities and food poisoning etc.

Kitchen should not be near pooja room. It displeases the gods and they don't bless us.

In the Kitchen

Kitchen

• The main cooking platform - this should be in the east or Southeast corner. Stove or gas burner should be placed alongside the eastern wall.
• Stove or cooking platform should not be in the centre of the kitchen or in the Northeast. It is very inauspicious. If it is in the North, it can cause financial losses and fear of bankruptcy. In the southern Southwest it creates health problems and people suffer from stomach ailments. In the Northwest also, it does not produce good results. People of the house do not get a chance to rest and there is constant tension in the house.
• Appliances like microwave oven, mixer, grinder etc should be kept alongside the Southern wall. This will prove beneficial.
• Sink or basin should be placed in the Northeast corner of the cooking platform as far as possible. Care should be taken that water and fire should not be in a straight line and next to each other. This produces financial losses and diseases. It also gives rise to a lot of bickering among the family members. This situation can be eased at least by 30% by erecting a partition of 2' x 3' between fire and water and by fixing a 4' x 4' mirror on the wall above the cooking platform. In addition to this a 15 watt yellow bulb should always be kept in the house.
• Containers for flour, rice, pulse and spices etc. should be kept in the West or in the South, while the lighter things can be kept in the North or the East.
• The gas burner should not be directly in front of the kitchen door. The housewife should face East while cooking, which will be good for her health. If she faces South or West then her health will not remain good. She will keep feeling weak, tired and unenergetic. She will not even feel at peace mentally. It is important that she faces the right direction while cooking because the food and nourishment of the family is her responsibility and depends on her. This situation also invites poverty into the house.
• Container for water should not be kept in the Ishan kona alongside the gas burner.
• Door of the kitchen should only be from North, East or West. There should be one or two windows in the East and West for ventilation.
• If dining table has to be placed in the kitchen, then it should be placed in the Northwest or in the West direction.
• If a mezzanine roof is to be made then it should be made either in the South or West.
• Colour of the walls and the roof can be yellow, orange, pink, chocolate or red. As far as possible it should not be black.
• If the refrigerator has to be placed in the kitchen then it should be kept in the Southeast or in the Northwest. It should not be placed in the Northeast. If it is kept in the Southwest, then it should be placed one foot away from the corner. It should not be placed in exact Nairritya.
• At night after the kitchen work is over, the kitchen should be properly cleaned.
• The first article of food cooked in the kitchen should be offered to God as prasad. This promotes Health, wealth, prosperity and peace of mind.