Superstition Or Superscience?
Amid accusations of having saffronised higher education of the country, the Centre approves the teaching of astrology in universities.
Is the Government promoting a
science or a sham?

Science Or Sham?
Even as stargazers claim their knowledge has an empirical basis, scientists debunk it as mumbo-jumbo.

PM's Point Man
Sidelined two years ago, he has bounced back to become one of the most powerful ministers in the NDA.

Diverging Tracks
The Gormu-Lhasa railway line will significantly improve China's military logistics capability and exert strategic pressure on India.

Plane Pique
The Gujarat Government resents the CAG indictment for the purchase of an aircraft.

COVERSTORY: ASTROLOGY

ALTERNATIVE STREAMS
Yours Fatefully

There are several ways of peeping into the future in India. Here's a checklist of some of the more popular ones.

Unnikrishnan practices Prashna

PRASHNA SHASTRAM
Originating in Kerala, it relies on occult disciplines and esoteric mathematical scholarship; the time and birth date are not mandatory for prognostication. Based on the principles of sympathetic magic it is widely used in all major southern temples. Says Chennai-based Prashna Shastri K. Unnikrishnan: "The person who makes predictions should be very pure." Prashna practitioners use cowrie shells arithmetically to tell the future.

BHRIGU/NADI
Bhrigu is derived from the Bhrigu Samhita, a book of celestial tables that allegedly contain entire life cycles pre-recorded on antique palm leaves. A Brahmin family of Hoshiarpur in Punjab claims to possess the original-a voluminous set of brittle, fading inscriptions in Sanskrit-its authenticity testified to by renowned scholars. This has resulted in a regular, unending stream of hopefuls eager to know their fate.

Nadi astrology, practised in south India, works on a similar belief: a group of ancient sages wrote inscriptions in Sanskrit which help predict the future of every man. These are scattered in their translated form over various temples, particularly Vaitheeswaran kovil, and the thumb print of the applicant is used to find his birthchart. Quite inexplicably, the applicant finds his name and birth details written on ancient papers which are revealed to him as a pre-written horoscope. Defies all scientific logic.

Ma Prem Usha with her deck of Tarot cards

TAROT
The way cards are picked foretells the future. Tarot is sourced to the gypsies of Romania and the earliest existing pack, which dates back to 1392, was reportedly painted for Charles VI of France. It works on the principle of predestined choice, that the seeker arranges his cards in a way the answer can be read accurately by the interpreter. Says popular Tarot reader and Rajneeshite Ma Prem Usha: "Tarot is not a typical science but taps the vibrations of energy fields. The cards also radiate spiritual energy."

FUSION ASTROLOGY
This predictive pot-pourri has rapidly gained popularity over the decades. Astro-palmistry and numerology are in vogue. Many feel the multiple disciplines enhance the foreteller's insight. Says Mumbai-based astroguru Bejan Daruwalla: "Few astrologers practise pure Vedantic forms. Most now use an eclectic mix."

Chakraborty works the numbers

HEBREW KABBALAH
A 13th century practice described as the "Yoga of the West", it uses a set of 40 numbers between one and 249 (denoting the number of substances in the world). Says Delhi-based practitioner Arati Chakraborty, "Numbers have mysterious powers-they are the metres of time, and time decides everything about our lives."

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