Land of Lime

It is universally acknowledged that Sangh Parivar has always been obsessed with astrology (jyothishyasastra), ancient India’s science of planetary movements and its influence on life everywhere, particularly human life. Along with this science, ancient India also created an elaborate ritual system to make peace with the planets when they are likley to cause trouble to us, poor mortals.

My thoughts on this science and the ritual system are immaterial. I am a historian and I have enough trouble with the past that has already happened. What do I know about futures that are yet to unfold or about a science that seeks to predict the future? But here is an ethnographic observation that I want to share with you all.

I must say I am struck - neither surprised nor impressed - by the number of people who have visited the Land of Lime, searching for either Panchanga or Vontikoppal Panchanga, which I mentioned last week in my ugadi post. Again, they all are Kannadigas, with some ties to Mysore, highly educated and living all over the world. Here is how one response to a question about the availability (and the suitability to America) of Vontikoppal Panchanga was answered:

This has the latitudes and longitudes of all the major towns & cities in USA, Canada, Mexico. Planetary positions for major towns in all the states are given and few examples of how to prepare horoscope for kids born in USA is also given. Also the day light savings time (spring forward and fall back) are taken into account in all the calculations. It is a great research work.

No wonder, Sanghis want to Indian universities to teach astrology, which the seculars may oppose but most of them also want to keep astrologers in business. What is this fascination with knowing what is going to happen tomorrow and then making sure we manipulate it somehow to make it what we want it to be?

I have never consulted an astrologer nor have I gotten a chart made.

Still. Anybody know my future?