Leafing through your life

It is an ancient system of prediction, written on palmyra leaves. Previously known only to a select group of people, the naadi astrology of India is growing in popularity. It has even been featured in documentaries, including on Discovery Channel. Suganthi Suparmaniam turns over the leaves Kuala Lumpur: A. Shanmugam sat transfixed. The naadi astrologer had just read out his name and those of his parents and siblings. "I was astonished. Reading the naadi olai (dried palmyra leaves), he could even tell that my mother had two names," said the technician. Recalling the first time he had gone to see a naadi astrologer in 2002, Shanmugam saidthe astrologer took his thumbprint and checked it against several bundles of olai. "I was told to say only yes or no as he read from the olai.

He asked if my name started with ‘Pa’ or ‘Re’ or ‘Mu’. When he said ‘Sha’, I said yes. He asked if my name was Shanmugam. "He then asked if my parents were named so and so and if I had this number of siblings and if I worked as a technician. "However, when he came to the name of my wife, he said it was Manogari. My wife’s name is Maheshwari. He then said this was not my olai and asked me to come again in two weeks. "This time, all the information about me fell into place. But I am amazed that such information about me could be contained in the olai, which is said to have been written by sages of a bygone age. "I am also amazed that there could beanother man with my name and whose parents and siblings have similar names but who has a wife called Manogari. "Since then I have seen the naadi astrologer 17 times. I find there is truth in what is said in the olai, at least for me," he added.Shanmugam is just one of the many people who are consulting naadi astrologers to find out their past, present and future. After being told by a Chinese friend about the naadi astrologers, Chiew Chee Hoong, 50, from Subang Jaya went to find out. "My friend told me the readings were accurate. I went to the astrologer, gave him my thumb- print and within minutes he found a script and read out my name," he said. He added that he was happy with the reading and described it as accurate. He said he would be performing a special prayer as instructed in the olai. Busi......