A nadi jyotish shows palm leaves that bear unique inscriptions. Picture by Manik Bose

Ranchi, Sept. 5: A group of soothsayers has come all the way from Tamil Nadu to propagate what they consider a unique tradition of telling people about their past, present and future.

Originally from Thanjavur, the soothsayers are in the state capital to show the wonders of what they call nadi-vidya. They say it is a 2,000-year-old method of prophesying handed down to them by their forefathers.

Residing in a house at Harmu Housing Colony, they have their room scattered with palm leaves bearing unique inscriptions.

The soothsayers better known as Kamalkannans are the descendants of the Vaitheeswaran Koil, the family that had known nadi for 2000 years.

Nadi in Tamil means in search of. It is presumed that the Sapt Rishi (seven Sages) — including Agasthya, Kausik, Vyas, Bohar, Bhrigu, Vasistha and Valmiki — had outlined the lives of each person on palm leaves through their yogic and intuitive powers.

The primordial form of astrology had been attracting hundreds of believers each day from all over the region.

“The thumbprint of a person is taken on a piece of paper. We identify a particular type of line on the thumb and the corresponding set of palm leaves is found. The time duration to pick up one’s leaf depends on the identification of the thumb impression. Some impressions are found easily and the corresponding leaves are found soon,” explained nadi-vidya expert D. Kamalkannan.

Each nadi is made up of a particular palm leaf bearing poetic inscriptions in Tamil and is preserved by rubbing peacock oil on auspicious occasions. These palm leaves are still preserved in the Saraswati Mahal Library of Tanjore (Thanjavur) in Tamil Nadu.

“What is done is that nadi readers all over India get a few set of leaves along with them, which is replaced by another set on return of the previous set to the museum. As most of the leaves were destroyed with the passage of time, it is said that now only 40 per cent of the world population find these leaves useful,” said B. Sandil Kumar the in-charge of the week-long camp.