Stars of India: Travels in Search of Astrologers and Fortune Tellers

Astrology and fortune telling are big business in India. Many Indians regularly consult an astrologer, and even government decisions are swayed by the position of the planets. In this exuberant travelogue, journalist Peter Holt traverses the country in search of the prediction experts. He begins his journey at the Temple of Somnath in Gujarat, the place where Hindus believe man first arrived on earth. In Ladakh, he is physically attacked by a Tibetan oracle for being an "unbeliever;" in Ujjain, he interviews a silent guru who has not spoken for 40 years; and in Delhi, he meets Indira Gandhi's former clairvoyant. At journey's end, Holt finally meets B.V. Raman, said to be the greatest living astrologer in the world, who gives the author his predictions for the future of the world.