While passing through the Palani Andavar Street opposite the massive Murugan temple in Vadapalani, you’ll see several street hawkers going about their business, talking to customers, bargaining and selling items like garlands, snacks, clips, hair pins, combs, and many other items.
But in the middle of all this chaos are the fortune-tellers who occupy the pavements along with parrots in cages or a deck of cards.
Tamilarasi, a soothsayer, said, “It is tougher these days to be a soothsayer. We don’t earn much.” When the correspondent tried to ask the next question, she said, “I’m here only to see the fortune of others. I can’t answer all your queries. If that’s what you want, then please leave.”
A walk down the street led to another man sitting opposite a store selling framed images of Gods. Kumaresan sits on a mat with a deck of cards stacked in front of him. He gave a warm smile. “I will say whatever you want to know if you give me money.”
He then starts saying how his daily life goes by. “We come here only in the evening. That’s when a lot of devotees come to temples,” he reasoned.
“People come to get their palms read not only during festival seasons but also during normal days. The fate of every person is decided by the card they choose. Just as in life, this card has positive and negative messages,” he said, pointing to the cards.
“With God’s blessing, I help people know about their fate. But people like me hardly earn enough to pay for our daily meals. It is a tough life,” he said with feeling.