Chennai: R Madaswamy (67) is not the one to mince his words. A resident of Annai Indira Nagar, Velacheri from being a staff of BSNL to becoming an astrologer, his journey has been exciting.
He forayed into astrology almost by chance. ‘During the marriages of my son and daughter, we were consulting astrologers for various things. It was at that time I began paying attention to it. I wondered why and how they said a match was not right or the time was not right,’ he said.
Surprisingly, Madaswamy was never a spiritual person. ‘I had never prayed to God. It was my neighbour who changed me and began taking me on pilgrimages.’
He says that astrology is all about mathematical calculations. ‘Initially I held a BE degree in electrical, but in the past few years I earned my Bachelors and Masters degrees in astrology, a dilploma in astrology from Tamil University, Thanjavur and also a diploma in Yoga.’
Madaswamy has clients from all walks of life, including people living in Sri Lanka, London, and the southern States of India. Film producers and TV serial actors ask him about their careers and auspicious dates to stat or release their ventures. His clients include people of all religion as well.
People living in a nearby slum also consult him, and he does not charge any money for them. ‘They sometime give me a rupee which I graciously accept. I do not see this as a way of making money. I am trying to help people understand their past, present and future,’ he says.
His weekends are the busiest with phone calls. The usual questions are: Will my son study medicine or engineering? Will I build a house? When will I go abroad? There are also questions like ‘Should I go for a surgery’?
So what does the engineer who turned religious thinks about astrology now?
‘Religion and science are parallel. But God is a step ahead of it,’ he concludes.