World's Most Expensive Home Lies Empty Due to Worries over Vastu Shastra

The world's most expensive home is a 27 storey, billion-dollar tower in Mumbai which was built for India's richest man, Mukesh Ambani, who according to Forbes is the ninth wealthiest person on the planet with a fortune estimated to be $27 billion. The tower, which is called Antilia, was completed last year and dominates the Mumbai skyline, but apparently its owners are reluctant to move in as the building doesn't comply with vastu shastra, a Hindu version of feng shui, according to a report in the Daily Mail.

The opulent property has six floors of parking, floating gardens and three helipads and certainly no expense has been spared, but the Ambani family are worried the building fails to conform to ancient Indian architectural principles and think moving in could bring them bad luck. It's not completely unused as a number of dinners have been held in the ballroom, and films have been screened in its state-of-the-art theater, but the owners never spend the night in the property.

Apparently any building conforming to vastu shasta must have sufficient windows facing east, as the ancient philosophy emphasizes the importance of the rising sun. Amazingly, given the vast sums spent on constructing this huge tower, Antilia has insufficient windows to let in the morning sun, and the Ambani family continue to reside at their current 14 storey apartment tower on the south side of the city. The tower is no stranger to controversy as many Mumbai residents have criticized it for being far too ostentatious for a country where so many people live in poverty.

Vastu Shastra is an ancient science whose principles are generally applied to Hindu architecture, and the past few decades have seen a revival in its concepts.