Peepal tree looking for a soulmate?
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Abhishekwarya a.k.a TMBWITW (to some folks at least) is in the news again. This time she had a PIL slapped on her for marrying trees.

Aishwarya is a Manglik (astrologically Mars-bearing), which is believed to have negative consequences for her impending marriage. The actress is said to have married a peepal tree at Benaras, a banana tree at a Bangalore temple and a god’s idol in Ayodhya.

The astrology playbook
(Photo: via consultantastrologer.com)

Astrology always fascinated me growing up. My taatha (grandfather) on the maternal side, was a widely respected astrologer. My mother picked up some of his knowledge and still continues to dabble in astrology. I was awestruck at the sway him or any other astrologer held over matrimonial alliances. The yeas or nays of an astrologer mean a world of difference to a matrimonial match and there are occasions where weddings are called off because of a dosha (fault) – not the same as dosa – (dosha link via Sacred Cows) in one parties’ horoscope.

Mangal dosha is a commonly found dosha. This dosha is also called Kuja dosha or Bhauma dosha. This dosha occurs when the placement of Mars in the horoscope is in certain houses that cause malefic influences. People, in whose natal chart Mars is placed inauspiciously, are called Mangliks.

So, if you are one of them Manglik people, when it comes to marriages, you maybe better off going the non-arranged marriage route, unless of, course your would-be is also “one of ‘em Mangliks”.

People of both sexes can be Manglik. If a boy having Mangal dosha is married to a girl having Mangal dosha then the malefic affects are nullified leading to prosperity and a happy married life.

The reason Mangliks are meted out this unfair treatment is because of a popular superstition that if you marry “one of ‘em Mangliks”, you will die. Never mind the fact that 42% of the population could be Mangliks.

The most famous myth about being a Manglik is that if he/she is married to a non-Manglik then the spouse is bound to die. This does not happen to everybody. Such predicament is only true for horoscopes, which have a severely afflicted Mars. A good astrologer can do this determination. Approximately 42% of the population are supposed to be of Mangliks.

Since people don’t want to die and tend of play it safe, Mangliks essentially, are for the most part “untouchables” and that is not in the Chicago mobsters’ context. That is exactly what, Shruti Singh, the lawyer who filed the PIL contends.

“I filed a PIL to stop such practices as reportedly conducted by actor Amitabh Bachchan for his future daughter-in-law Aishwarya Rai. It is in violation of Article 17 of the Constitution, which prohibits untouchability. It also violates fundamental human rights,” said Shruti.

I’m normally against government interference in people’s personal lives and frivolous law suits. But this is a case of a private citizen working on purging archaic social taboos and no better way to do that in a, superstitious and celebrity crazed nation like India, than to make examples of high profile figures who promulgate this, for lack of a better word, crap. I’m not so sure taatha, if he were alive today, would be proud of my stance.

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