Monday, October 21, 2002		Feature

Hi-tech kundlis allure foreigners

COMPUTER horoscopes have taken the place of manual kundli, or astrological charts, in Varanasi, the holy town of Hindus. Thousands of foreigners throng the city every year and many often get attracted to the traditional astrologers.

More and more people are now relying on the accuracy of the computers than the traditional kundlis or janampatris.

Santosh Shekhar, one of the hi-tech astrologers at Varanasi wants to give astrology a new direction. And this he wants to do by spreading the wonders of hi-tech astrology. This has only increased the influx of tourists in the city. He has around 400-500 foreign kundlis.

"For foreigners, to make manual kundlis was tough but with the computer, all details are considered, and it takes less time. And with our own experience and accuracy of the computer, we provide the forecast," says Santosh.

Jean Philippe, a tourist from France, says, "Hi-tech astrology is the study of the position and movement of stars with the help of the computer. It is more precise and decides the character and the future of the person."

This clearly shows the fast growing popularity of hi-tech astronomy and the faith that people place in it. The Japanese believe a lot in the future forecasts and there are many who come to get their future read by Santosh. Koshiuki, a Japanese, says, "I get my life and my future read here. I want to know it before I do anything." People are not only showing more and more interest in getting their future read, but are also taking a step further to learn the art of hi-tech kundlis. ANI