The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh / Hyderabad News : Post fiasco it’s boom time for fortune tellers

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Tuesday, Jan 13, 2009
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Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh - Hyderabad

Post fiasco it’s boom time for fortune tellers

DVL Padma Priya

HYDERABAD: As the whole world is being swept away by a financial tsunami, a few lucky ones are laughing their way to the banks, like the astrologers and astro-numerologists of the city. And post-Satyam fiasco, rising insecurity in the IT sector has only increased their business.

“Since the Satyam fraud news broke, I have had over eight to nine Satyam employees approach me for help,” admits astro-numerologist T. Pavani, stating that the number of clients especially those in IT has gone up considerably during the past two months. People in real estate, gold business and automobile industry are also looking for ‘spiritual remedies’.

Career concerns

“Many of my clients are in fact housewives with queries regarding their husbands’ jobs,” says Ms. Pavani. Substantiating her claim is G.Veerabhadracharyulu, Head of Department, Astrology, Potti Sriramulu University, who says that most of the people approaching astrologers are those concerned about their careers.

“I have clients from as far as South Africa approaching me for solace.

Some have even lost jobs in the recent crisis,” chips in Sitarama Sastry. “Any crisis in life depends on one’s fate and destiny can’t be changed,” he states.

Clients are said to be willing to shell out anything between Rs.1, 000 to Rs.1, 500 for looking into their respective horoscopes/zodiac crystal balls. Even relative ‘small timers’ like S. Subbaiah, a fortune teller on Necklace Road are not far behind in raking in a moolah. Crises also brings good business for sellers of ‘rudrakshas’ and gem stones. “I must have sold at least 300 ‘rudrakshas’ in the past one month itself. Sale of birth stone rings too has picked up,” says Srinivasa Murthy, a ‘rudraksha’ seller in Secunderabad.

Wedding time also does not seem conducive to be ripe for IT professionals just in case they are hunting for a bride-hunting or groom-hunting. “Only yesterday, a client of mine broke up a called off marriage proposal just because the groom was an employee from Satyam. The horoscopes were fine, but the bride’s family didn’t want to take a chance!” sighs J. Ramakanth, a palmist.

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