Roadside astrology
By Purva

EVERY human being is inextricably bound to his life—his family, job, money, love, success and the like. There are a lot of people who take important decisions on the basis of the advice they receive from astrologers. People who come to astrologers seek a more peaceful way of life. Some people regard astrology as a form of amusement, while other believe in it sincerely.

Interest in astrology arises out of an individual’s curiosity about his or her future.

This curiosity draws one to the curb of the road where a man sits under a tree, where he has been sitting for as long as one can remember. He sits quietly, but not without a purpose, his lean body clad in a silky orange kurta payjama. His meditative face carries a benevolent expression. Well, this is our very own, roadside astrologer, trying to pacify the ones who seek his help and advice.

Traditionally, people believe that a certain action or event can cause or foretell an apparently unrelated event. Such beliefs rob people of trust in their own ability to control their future. However, some people argue that honest astrologers or fortune tellers give harmless and even sensible advice to troubled people who cannot afford psychiatric help. On the other hand some people lose large sums of money to dishonest astrologers.

A number of these roadside astrologers adorn some of the footpaths. They come every day at around 8 or 9 a.m., spread their belongings which mainly include palmistry books and charts which indicate the meaning of certain planets and stars at a specific time. They also display a little board with a hand on it, sometimes, indicating their specialisation in a particular field. Well these roadside astrologers also have their own fields which include fortune-telling, numerology, palmistry, making horoscopes, etc. Though all these are related to one another but each has its own purpose.

These roadside astrologers seem to emit a helpful and spiritual aura to confused and directionless people. They emerge as extremely gifted talkers who lure people, for a while, into a world of dreams and make-believe. They sometimes enervate hope to dare and dream in the face of heavy odds.

A strange feeling grips you when you talk to these roadside astrologers. They certainly do leave you thinking about certain things. There’s one such astrologer, aged 50 who calls himself Ghansham Bharamchari. For the past 20 years, come severe winters, summers or the rainy season, he comes to sit there everyday. He claims to have inherited this vidya which according to him, this has been in his family for seven-generations. He himself has no family, lives alone and has never thought of getting married. He sits there all through the day from 8 a.m. — 6 p.m. or even longer and eats at any small dhaba or restaurant. Though he has been in Chandigarh all through his life but he claims that he did his matric from Jaipur. He doesn’t have any other work to fall back on and says that 10 or 11 persons come to him almost everyday. He charges Rs 11 from each person and is comfortable with what he earns.

Mostly unemployed, bachelors and disappointed people come to him looking for a ray of sunshine in their lives. He feels sorry for these sad and lonely people whom he think he helps. He claims that some people even come back with a box of sweets to thank him for his advices and predictions.

According to him, he can talk about everything — palmistry, tantra, mantra, numerology and can make horoscopes. Apart from all this, he has a keen interest in the political scenario of our country. A staunch supporter of the BJP, he seems to be highly impressed with the Pokhran test and supports them with all his heart.

If these astrologers are capable of helping their clients, as they claim, then why don’t they find a way to get out of their own pathetic situations? However, one thing is certain —for as long as people are insecure about their own lives, these astrologers will continue to exist.