Anuraag Singh By

Express News Service

BHOPAL: The Madhya Pradesh government is planning to start astrology OPD (out-patient department) in which astrologers and such soothsayers will provide consultation to visitors facing diverse problems. These will be staffed by qualified soothsayers under the aegis of the Maharashi Patanjali Sanskrit Sansthan (MPSS), a state government institution in Bhopal.

For three to four hours twice a week (preferably on weekends), astrologers, vastu experts, palmists and proponents of Vedic karmakanda will delve deep into the horoscopes and lifelines of visitors, including patients. The OPD will be operational at the Yoga Center building situated close to the Red Cross building in Bhopal. “Only we are giving it the name of astro-OPD and in no way will it be any kind of medical OPD to be operated at hospital,” MPSS director PR Tiwari told The New Indian Express.

“Like OPDs where junior doctors work under the supervision of seniors, aspiring astrologers will assist astro experts in dealing with various kinds of cases in the astro OPDs,” added Tiwari.

These experts are faculty members who are teaching aspiring astrologers, vastu experts and purohits under three annual diploma courses for astrology, vastu and paurohitya (priesthood) started by the MPSS a few weeks ago.

“The students in these diploma courses will not only act as assistants to qualified astrologers in the OPD, but will also get hands-on training in devising astro-based solutions for different problems in the manner junior doctors get from senior specialists in regular medical OPDs,” said Tiwari.

Patients seeking astrological diagnosis of their problems (medical, psychological and social) will pay a registration fee of Rs 5. “The OPD will help to establish that astrology is not hunch, but a calculative science,” maintained Tiwari.

In these outpatient departments teams of experts and neo-astrologers will study the planetary combinations and changes reflected in the horoscopes of patients. The prognosticators will also analyse varied problems of visitors/patients who come without horoscopes, using the prashna kundali technique.

“The astrologers will study the planetary combinations at the exact time the questions are asked to arrive at the right astrological solution,” said Tiwari.

Based on the success of this novel effort, similar OPDs are likely be spring up at 138 Sanskrit schools run by the MPSS across the state, inspired by school education minister Kunwar Vijay Shah to produce a pool of qualified astrologers and vastu experts in the state.

“We’re planning to extend the annual diploma course in astrology, vastu and paurohitya to the Sanskrit schools in form of two years diploma courses. The students of Uttar Madhyama (equivalent to Class XI and XII) at the 138 Sanskrit schools who enroll in the two-years diploma courses, will study the diploma course subjects as additional subjects in the years of regular Uttar Madhyama course,” said Tiwari.