Your future lurks in shadows

Ever thought your shadow could tell your future? Meet 80-year-old, Kantilal Pandya for whom, shadows speak a thousand words. Unbelievable but true, Kemps Corner based Chaaya Shastri (shadow reader), Kantilal Pandya can actually tell the future of a person by merely measuring a person’s shadow against the wall. “I had learnt shadow reading from my father and have been practicing the art of shadow astrology since the past 65 years,” says Pandya. Shadow reading is very different from the common Numerology, Palmistry and Vaastu Shastra and not many people are skilled enough to read shadows.There is a definiteprocedure to read shadows as well as certain tools required which aid this typeof astrology. “My clients have to come in only during specific hours ofthe day when I can properly measure their shadow,” shares Pandya.“The first step is to make my client stand against the wall and then I usethis special scale, made by me, to measure the shadow that they cast on thewall,” he adds.The scale that is used to measure the shadow isno ordinary scale having centimetres or inch measurements. It is instead made upof aluminium and contains dots. These dots are in fixed numbers and are placedat fixed intervals. They are in combinations of 4-3-2-1 and 1-2-3-4. “Eachcombination means a specific thing and to measure my client’s shadow, Iadd up the dots and then tell them their future,” explains Pandya.We may think - how does Pandya measure the shadow - is it the lengthor the breadth? “I make the person stand against the wall and as theshadow will obviously be shorter than the person, I measure the length of itfrom the floor and then arrive at a conclusion,” says Pandya.The next part of the procedure is even more astounding. Once Pandyahas calculated the total length of the shadow in terms of the dots, he thenrefers to ancient Pali scriptures in relation to the reading. “These Paliscriptures that I use for astrology are not available nowadays and I havetreasured these scriptures as they were my father’s collection. Throughthese I can give yearly details about my client’s past and future and alsosuggest what they can do to prevent problems,” sharesPandya.In order to deal with problems, Pandya usually suggests thechanting of the sacred Gayatri Mantra in times of crisis coupled with other holyverses. “Dada (as he is fondly called), never suggests changing of namespelling or changing of house or anything as he is a staunch believer of GayatriMata,” says Rajesh Chavan, Pandya’s assistant. Apartfrom regular client’s, Pandya has had a whole lot of Bollywood stars whohave consulted him in the past regarding their future. “He has had starclients like Rajesh Khanna, Asha Bhosle, Asha Parekh and many more in thepast,” says 57-year-old, Ramni Keshav Naidu, a friend and client ofPandya. “Even I have got my shadow measured by him and mostly everythinghas come true,” she adds. Along with Vaastu Shastra, Feng shuiand Palmistry - shadow reading is also one of the olden traditional ways used byour ancestors in reading their future. Scary but true - your future certainlydoes lurk in your shadow! Follow us on Twitter for more stories