As India plays Sri Lanka in the World Cup final today, thousands of cricket fans will be glued to their Facebook and Twitter accounts. And they’ll be doing it to help Team India win. This World Cup, new-age astrologers have taken to social networking sites to suggest ‘totkas’ (a small ritual to bring luck) that they say will guarantee a win.
Tarot card reader Manisha Koushik, 26, who has 518 friends on Facebook, was a big hit during the India-Pak match on Wednesday. During the match, she kept suggesting totkas, such as ‘keep a glass of sugar water under the TV during the Indian innings’, to ensure that India’s wickets don’t fall quickly.
“The suggestions worked and people kept trying them. I will definitely be doing the same for the finals,” she says. A follower, Siya Kakkar, 25, says. “It brought luck to the team, so why not? I will be following her advice during the finals, too!”
On Twitter, too, there are two soothsayers who’ve got people hooked — Mr_iZO and AstroDrAnjna. Kolkata-based iZO, 28, says, “It’s the only way to reach out to the world. I don’t spend a rupee, neither do the fans, and everyone gets to know what the stars are saying,” says iZO, who tells people to wear a certain colour at a certain time.
For some, good luck totkas are not enough. Pandit Radhe Shyam of Hari Nagar says, “We will be conducting a Mahamrityunjaya jaap for the Indian team today.”
(With Inputs from Vaishali Bhambri)
