The traditional fortune telling and tellers might just have predicted their own doom, what with the popular astrology getting hi-tech in the recent times.
But a visit to Shivajinagar might just negate this thought, for the footpath near the St.
Mary’s Church diagonally opposite to the bus stand is the occupational home to lady astrologers and their parrots.
For Meenakshi, parrot astrology is a family business.
“I have been on the Shivajinagar footpath from past 10 years. My grandparents and my parents were into parrot reading business,” said this fortune teller. “This is one practice, which will never die. There are youngsters as well as old people who are curious to know about their future and Parrots can never lie,” she explained.
It is not an easy job for these fortune tellers as they are always observed by the police.
“I have kept them in good books by paying them Rs 10 to 20 per day,” revealed another fortune teller, Lakshmi, who is satisfied with the Rs 10 to 50 per client. Meenakshi attends to at least 10 to 15 clients per day between 10 am to 5 pm.
“I attend to common people who at least get convinced by just paying peanuts. Just last week I had two ladies from London who came specifically for parrot reading. They paid me Rs 1000,” she added.
Each lady on this busy road has one or two parrots which are trained to predict people’s future. There is no religion or language barrier for this particular astrology, says Lakshmi. “Our cards contain the images of gods of all religion. We have cards of lord Ganesha, Lakshmi, Jesus and many other such deities. We allow the parrot to pick up one from the cards spread. Based on the deity, we predict the fortune,” she added.
Though there are around eight ladies in the row, there is no competition, said Lakshmi. “We earn about Rs 10 to 50 from one client. What competition can we have in this money,” she added.
The fortune telling Parrots are trained and brought from Chennai.
“Each one cost Rs 2500. My parrot has been with me from past nine years. Usually a Parrot’s life is between 2 to 5 years. I treat her like my baby,” Meenakshi said.
Apart from parrot reading, the ladies are also into kavada shastra (numbers), Vaalachaudi (book shastra) and hand reading. These fortune tellers get trained before they get into this business. “I got trained from Kolimale in Tamil Nadu. I charge Rs 31 for every predict,” said Lakshmi.