NEW. DELHI: Astrologers are having a field day as candidates make a beeline to their doorsteps for a peep into the future, days before their final electoral trail, PTI report.

Elections to 525 Lok Sabha seats and five state assemblies are being held this week.

Filing of nominations and reJease of manifestos by several par ties was done after “astrological consultations” by the leaders, said a Delhibased astrologer. In fact. some national and regional parties are still awaiting an auspicious time to release their manifestos, he Said.

Most of the leaders sought to Know “most auspicious day and time” for filing nomination papers, lanastrologer of high repute from Uttar Pradeshondncaniping in the capital enjoying the five star patronage of a powerful politician.

Most Indians believe in astrology and the auspicious occasions, like engagements and manages, are conducted only after consulting astrologers.

Palmists and numerologists, who have sprouted all over Delhi like mushrooms since September, were having a ‘Gala time’, said an astrologer, who claims to have predicted the ‘fate’ of over a dozen politicians. Businessmen and film stars. “We are the real VIPS now days”, he said.

According to a Delhi based master of the ‘science of planets’, there were about 200 thousand astrologers in the country. “Every 201st man in India is an astrologer”, he said quoting statistics of a registered organization publishing Thonthly magazines in astrology. % He said most of the politicians with ‘bleak’ electoral prospects, were advised to adopt ‘mantra’‘tantra’ (offering sacrifices) or ‘Yantra’ (wearing sacred threads and beads) to please their ‘bad stars’.

Besides, they earned thousands of rupees by selling “diamonds and colored stones” to the politicians for “sure success” at the Hastings, he said.

The astrologer said political leaders visited several places of worship and acquired the blessings of Sadhus and saints.

He said, the 400 organizations, in and around Delhi, some of them with computerized predictions. we’re having brisk business. The charges for making “Skeletal Janma Kundalis” (horoscopes). ranged from RS 25 to RS 500.

A Calcutta based astrologer has predicted that none of the political parties would be able to secure absolute or even simply majority.

Article extracted from this publication >>  November 24, 1989