A smart phone in one hand and a parrot in the other! It was this paradoxical sight that spurred Yo! Vizag to interact with this fortune teller and get him to reveal his story.

If you’ve spent more than an hour on beach road, then you’ve probably seen him too. He’s the man who catches the attention of many people. Not for his fine dressing, or for his good looks, but for the little cage and the parrot that he carries inside it. Brahma Raju is a fortune teller from Vizag and he claims that he can foresee your future, because he has been trained through rigorous prayers.

He approaches us as we sit at beach road sipping our teas and the desire to gather what parrot tarot reading, colloquially known as chilaka jyothisham, can tell us takes over. Tarot reading via parrots has been in vogue for many centuries now. Even in Vizag it is prevalent, especially near the beach road.

As he sits with us, Brahma Raju takes out cards from his bag and spreads them on the platform. Each of these cards has the picture of a Hindu God on it. He then opens the cage and the parrot comes out. Brahma next says the name of the person whose future is to be predicted and the parrot picks up a card, which then leads to the final step of predicting the future for his curious customers.

But how much of it is actually true? Of course, Brahma says that he has undergone rigorous training to be where he is today. Originally from Bhadrachalam, he has been in the profession for the past fifteen years. He began his study of astrology when he was only five years old. ‘My guru is Sitaramayya, who trained 51 students at that time. I was the first to be trained by him and today am his right hand’ he proudly reveals.

And what gives this fortune teller the powers? He reveals that his rigorous training and Kalika mata’s blessings are the reason behind it. Even today, he goes for the Sammakka Sarakka, the Kalika mata puja that happens once in every two years. ‘It is the Kalika mata puja that gives me powers to read people’s faces and predict their future. I have the right cure for mentally unstable people.’

His personal life is satisfying too. He is from the Koya Adivasi tribe and has a wife and three children. ‘I feed my children with the money I get everyday.’ After having been trained under his guru, even he has disciples today and has taken 11 people under his wing.

And it looks like business is brisk for Brahma. He states that he earns approximately Rs. 1000/- to Rs. 2000/- per day and the starting price for reading a person’s fortune is at a meagre sum of Rs. 20/-. The HTC smartphone that he carries also speaks volumes.

A few bystanders have gathered around us, and are as curious to know about my colleague’s future. And without moving an inch, Brahma has found his next customer. As he finishes foretelling about us, we ask him for a picture, telling that we’re from a magazine. ‘Which one’ he asks, adding that for sharing his story we should now pay him Rs. 500/-. He’s foretold riches, fame and a love marriage for my colleague. Though I don’t know how true that’ll be, one thing is true. He’s a great salesman!

WHERE TO FIND HIM : Beach Road, Vizag
EARNS : 12000/- Per Month
TECH GEEK : HTC Phone