Nowhere else in the world does astrology enjoy such authority as in India. Representatives of the political elite are particularly interested in it. Among the current leaders of the country, only Jawaharlal Nehru ignored the predictions of star soothsayers, but he also had to reckon with their public influence. For a modern Indian leader, regular contacts with astrologers are no less important than consultations with an image maker. This is why party bosses and functionaries are willing to accept them as secretaries on their teams. Until recently, the most reliable political horoscopes in India were compiled in Tamil Nadu and Karnataka, but in recent years they have been replaced by metropolitan computer versions. Delhi Jyotish astrologers are firmly convinced that all the conflicts and twists in Indian politics are programmed in heaven for many years to come. Therefore, they are ready to display the results of the new parliamentary elections and name the next Prime Minister and opposition leader in the People's Chamber. THE POWER OF TRADITION Belief in the ability of stars to influence the fate of a person is one of the features of the mentality of the peoples of South Asia. In ancient India, there was even a ritual of making a horoscope on the eve of making an important state decision or the birth of the heir to the ruling dynasty of kings. The sacred books of the Hindus "Vedas" call astrology "the eye of knowledge of the world" and "the ancestor of all sciences." Today, you can't find a village or city block that doesn't have its own jyotish, or even a few planetary forecasters. According to some estimates, their total number exceeded half a million. "If you throw a stone in Delhi, it will surely fall on the astrologer's head," the Indian parliament is fond of repeating. However, there are many amateurs and charlatans among the star visionaries. Unlike professionals, scammers demand a high reward. As for the true fortune tellers, they consider their craft "a gift ... Read more