Naadi Astrology ~ To believe or not to believe?

In today's scientific world, if someone told you that your past, present and future was written some 1000 years ago on palm leaves, would you believe it? I first heard of naadi astrology, few years ago, from an uncle who had done his own reading. He said whatever was read out to him was true!!! I did my little bit of research online...and the history of this pseudoscience really captivated me.

Apparently, in the ancient times, wise sages such as Agastya could foresee the future of human beings born or yet to be born. These predictions were recorded on sacred palm leaves. The information is broken into various chapters such as family, education, health, career etc. These palm leaves were classified according to the thumb prints and bundled together. This astrology was made famous by astrologers around the Vaitheeswaran Temple in the state of Tamil Nadu. However, these predictions were not made for all. Only those destined to see their future will be able to find their leaf and at the right time. 

I guess I was destined to see my future more than once! 

When you go to a Naadi reader, he'll tell you to first give your thumbprint in purple ink. Then he'll compare it with the bundled palm leaves and identify the matching bundle. Once the bundle is found, he'll start reading from the leaves one by one and ask if the mentioned information is true, to which you have to answer with only a 'yes' or 'no'. If the answer to a question is 'no' it means that the leaf is not yours and the reader moves on to the next leaf. If the answers to all the questions are 'yes' it means that your leaf has been found! 

The first time my parents went alone. I gave them my thumb print on a paper. When they got home and made me listen to the Cd recording of the readings, I was speechless!!! This person had actually given all the details about my past and present life so accurately that I felt as if someone had peeked into my life!!! I was so intrigued with it that I decided to get one more reading done, but from a different person. 

I went this time with a friend, and had to follow the same process of giving the thumb print and waiting for the reader to be able to identify my bundle. Once identified, he came out and gave me a brief description about what naadi astrology is all about. Then he started with the Q&A session. I had read many reviews on the internet where people said that the reader asked them so many questions (the answers to most were 'no') that it was easy to get some details about the person such their name initials, parents name, occupation etc. I too expected something of that sort to happen. However another surprise awaited me. The reader took the second leaf and asked me:

" Your father's name has a letter 'la' ". 

" Yes " .

" Your mother's name begins with 's' "

" Yes ".

" Your father's name is ------ and mother's name is ------- and your name is -----"

I was dumbstruck..........." Yes!!!!! "

He asked me a few more questions to confirm if that was my leaf and yes it was! All that he said matched! My leaf had been found! I was beaming from ear to ear.!!! After some waiting, the reader appeared again and started reading out all that the wise sage had written about my future. He gave me details of my life in chronology. Every time he said something unpleasant would happen, he said it could be corrected if I perform some remedial pooja's which would be told to me in the end. During the course of the reading I noticed that some facts which were told by the first reader (the ones my parents saw) differed. While my mind was stuck on that, we had already come to the end of the reading. And now time for the remedial actions! He gave me list of temples I should visit and also I should perform a special pooja for 48 days and this could be only performed at the naadi reader's place, by him. For this I should pay some amount daily for 48 days!

At this point, my mind was racing. Were sages so business minded in those days? At a time when there was no currency system, how could they even think of money? An ancient astrology system which ideally should have been a guiding light to mankind is today being commercialized. Everyday, I get to see ad's of this service in newspapers. Out of curiosity, I called up another astrologer and asked him the charges to get my reading done. I was shocked when he said, Rs. 1500 for the general chapter and Rs. 3000 for a detailed reading. I was aghast!!! What a business!!! Charge an amount for a basic reading (which doesn't give you too many details and just builds up curiosity inside you), charge additional amount for each chapter and then charge a huge amount to for the remedial pooja!!! 

Though the past and present were accurately mentioned, the future predictions are true or no, the answer to this only lies in the future. However, with the ongoing commercialization of this system, I'm sure people will definitely think twice before falling into the trap.