Seer defies own death prediction

[Guest guest]

Seer defies own death prediction

By Faisal Mohammed Ali

BBC News, Bhopal

 

 

 

Villagers said Punjilal's predictions usually came true - his family was

hoping this one might be wrong.

Punjilal, a 75-year-old resident of a village in India's Madhya Pradesh

state had said he would die between 1500 and 1700 local time on

Thursday.

 

Journalists, doctors and TV channels joined thousands of curious locals

outside the temple he was sitting in.

 

But the time came and passed and the fortune teller survived. He now

says he will live till he is 90.

 

 

Hanuman

 

Thousands of locals had came laden on bullocks, on motorbikes, even

in hired cars to get a glimpse of the fortune teller in the dusty village of

Sabra, 15km (nine miles) from the main town of the district, Betul.

 

Some of the [crowd] seemed to have great religious fervour and wanted

their future told by the fortune teller

 

Akil Ahmad, onlooker

 

Punjilal had stopped talking to people for about a week and for the

whole of Thursday sat in a small temple of the monkey god Hanuman

chanting religious passages from holy books.

 

He had told villagers and people close to him about a month ago that he

would die on 20 October because his horoscope said so.

 

His father, also a fortune teller, had apparently died in a similar manner.

 

Punjilal is known for predictions, particularly about where a well can be

dug to find a good level or quality of water.

 

KB Rawat, a bank employee in Betul who had been camping near

Punjilal's house for several days, said: "The predictions made by

Punjilal have proved to be true in most cases. I have faith in him. Let's

see what happens now."

 

Journalists converged on the site. One said it was their reality TV.

 

Some of the crowd had an eye for business - vendors sold sweetmeats,

toys and religious books.

 

Prayers

 

Thursday started with a local priest offering Punjilal prasad (fruits and

sweets that had earlier been offered to gods) and said this would save

him from death.

 

My grandfather, Kishanlal, also predicted his death and died at the

said hour in the year 1975

 

Anirudh, Punjilal's son

 

His prediction proved truer than Punjilal's, although the seer himself had

told people there was a 25% chance he would not die.

 

Punjilal, who has four daughters and one son, is helping his grandson

learn the profession.

 

His son, Anirudh, said he was happy his father was alive.

 

"My grandfather, Kishanlal, also predicted his death and died at the said

hour in the year 1975. So we were worried. My grandfather passed all

the art of fortune telling to my father."

 

Punjilal's wife, Jayawanti Bai, says she had prayed for her husband to

live longer.

 

Oddly, Thursday happened to be Karva Chauth, when wives fast and

pray for their husband's long life.

 

Two local doctors kept a constant check and were happy to report his

vital organs kept working normally and his pulse was good.

 

After his escape, Punjilal was taken to the Balajipuram temple, 23km

from his village, to offer prayers.

 

He says he will live till he is 90.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/4361222.stm