This astrologer from Betul was dead wrong

BHOPAL: It was a rare "professional privilege" that hoodwinked a large number of TV journalists on Thursday. They gathered at a small Madhya Pradesh hamlet to cover an astrologer's death, live. Except, the gentleman survived.

Kunjilal Malviya, a 75-year-old astrologer residing at Betul, on the Bhopal-Nagpur road, had forecast his own death on Thursday, the auspicious "Karwa Chauth" festival. According to him, the Death God was to visit him between 3 pm and 4 pm in the day.

On hearing of this "unprecedented happening", a horde of TV crews descended upon Sehara village.

The nondescript village woke up Thursday morning to find a huge media circus that had descended. Elsewhere in the country, the "prediction" triggered a massive debate over whether astrology was a science and whether such incidents fueled superstition.

Two months ago, when Kunjilal had predicted his own death on this day, not many took notice. However, since Wednesday, all roads seemed to lead to his modest home, about 225 km from the state capital. Clearly, some people were there out of sympathy, while others were more curious.

The "dying old man" suddenly became a hero beamed all over the country live, thanks to the presence of almost all national and regional TV channels.

Rather than being sombre, the mood was festive, with a heavy dose of religious activity. People sang bhajans and prayed to God, while vedic chants were recited aloud as everyone awaited the "coming" of Yamraj, the mythological God of Death.

As the clock ticked past 3 pm towards 4 pm, the frenzy reached its pinnacle, waiting for the frail-looking soothsayer to bid adieu to this world. And Kunjilal was ready, too. Sporting a tilak, he wore a wry smile on his face.

Sadly, though, Yamraj didn't pay Kunjilal a visit, much to the chagrin of the TV journalists. But villagers and Kunjilal's relatives, especially his wife Jayantibai, erupted in joy as he failed to keep his date with death.

Afterwards, Kunjilal merely said: "Thanks to the good wishes of villagers and the prayers of people, I survived the pernicious moment to live a long life from now onwards."

Interestingly, the district administration smelt a rat in the whole affair, and had sent a team of doctors to ensure Kunjilal did not commit suicide. There was a heavy police bandobast near his house as well.