TOMORROW'S MEN: The astrologers claim they are genuine practitioners of the art

You see one village, you have seen them all. That is what you'd think if you drove into Konganapuram, a sleepy collection of hutments 40 km from Salem in Tamil Nadu. It is nondescript, backward and poverty-stricken. But take a second glance. You will often see groups of men huddled in conspiratorial groups, poring over small charts. Draw nearer and you will catch scraps of conversations about graha and tithi. It's then that you realise you are in the midst of men for whom the planets hold all the secrets of life.

Whether as a profession or a pastime, astrology has been a centuries-old calling for the menfolk of Konganapuram, which has about 500 Valluva families. The community owes allegiance to Thiruvalluvar, the Tamil poet and author of the ancient Thirukural. One story has it that the panchangam (the Tamil calendar) was first written in these parts during the reign of a king called Sahadevan aeons ago. It is claimed that the panchangam system of astrology, which takes into account the nine grahas, 27 nakshatras and 15 tithis, was devised by the Valluvas and handed over to the Brahmin clergy.

Astrology is so much a part of the village that the Valluvas believe it is in their genes. There is little or no recourse to scriptures. "When we meet people and read their horoscopes, our children pick up the art from us," explains A. Armugam, a street-corner astrologer who makes predictions and performs pariharams (rituals to ward off evil) on special invitations. "In time, they become good enough to practise it on their own."

"Not everyone can learn astrology," insists Udhayasuriyan, one of the better-known names in the village. "You cannot get it from books. It is in one's blood." The Valluvas, it is clear, will not be sending their children to universities where astrology is a subject of study.

The Valluva men travel far and wide. Besides going to metros like Mumbai, Delhi and Kolkata, they have been overseas too, acquainting the people of places like Mauritius, Singapore and Malaysia with their destinies. The exposure has widened their horizon but neither technical advances nor educational accomplishments have dissuaded them from their passion. "We will never give up astrology," vows 70-year-old R. Muthusamy, one of the oldest astrologers in Konganapuram. This is no empty boast. A police constable, who requests anonymity, reasons: "I was brought up on astrology. How can I not practise it now?" Off-duty you will find him contemplating Saturn's influence on a colleague's life. Like him, there are many others-in banks, co-operative unions and private companies-who would spend their spare hours peering beyond Earth's mundane bounds.

Even educated men, like science graduate M. Venkatesh, 26, find that astrology offers a full-time professional option, especially in the New Age when arcana is a legitimate pursuit. Once he realised his search for a white-collared job was leading nowhere, Venkatesh followed the stars. "I make a handsome amount now," he says with some pride, adding that he would have pursued astrology as a hobby even if he had landed a regular job.

Armugam has no qualms about putting a figure to his earnings. It ranges from Rs 60 to Rs 200 on a good day. But it is not simply for money that he does what he does. "Astrology is not only the bread and butter of these men but also their life and soul," says G. Muthuraman, the panchayat president. The men of Konganapuram believe that money corrupts and that their predictions come true because they are not greedy. The astrologer in the cities, they tell you, are money-minded men and women who dupe thousands of vulnerable people with fake predictions. Muthuraman vouches for the credibility of Konganapuram's rustic astrologers and claims that, among other predictions, the Valluva star readers had rightly foretold the return of aiadmk chief J. Jayalalithaa as chief minister of Tamil Nadu.

However, the stars do not shine equally on the men and women of Konganapuram. As far as the Valluvas are concerned, practising astrology is a male prerogative. Their women, who are largely illiterate, do not argue with that. Sixty-year-old Kanakammal says, "It's a divine profession and only men have the purity to practise it." But what about the role of Lady Luck? That, as the cliche goes, is another matter.