Bandh = everything closes, no public transport available (very few individuals own a vehicle), with tire-burning road blocks that threaten to enforce retribution on those that violate the bandh; can be called at any time by practically anyone, but most commonly by protesting people & political groups making demands that are not being otherwise met…in other words, kids get a lot of days off from school, tourists may find themselves walking from the airport to the nearest hotel and the availability of supplies coming into the valley to support millions is more often under threat than not.
Soothsayers fail to put their finger on the date
http://www.kantipuronline.com/kolnews.php?&nid=197190
Kantipur Report
KATHMANDU, June 2 - How could the meticulous calculations go wrong? Or is it that the genius soothsayers simply miscalculated. However, in Kaliyug anything can happen, some say, at least to find some solace. On Monday afternoon, renowned astrologers from around the world gathered in Kathmandu for an international conference on astrology. They were heard whispering whether their science malfunctioned. The event was scheduled for June 1 terming it the best day after rigorous calculations, but it seems none of them could put their fingers on the right tab. A general strike called by the ethnic group Newa Mukti Morcha brought the capital city to a standstill, leaving the astrologers red-faced. While scores of national and international participants were stranded at Thankot, the entry point to the valley, several others in the Capital could not make it to the venue due to the strike. And those who managed to had another problem: how will they go back? The august gathering that was to see at least 700 astrologers of international repute was to discuss ways to make this ancient science more accurate. Ironically, the banda threw cold water on the programme. Though not raised by any participant, a question that must have been hovering in everyone's mind was: How could the astrologers fail to fix a hassle-free date for an international event? Organisers agree that a mathematical error might have led to the wrong astrological calculation. "We had earlier chosen May 30 for the event, but had to reschedule the event to June 1 owing to some problems," said Lok Raj Poudel, chair of the Astro-Council of Nepal and one of the organisers.
"We are no gods," said Dr. K. Divakaran, another veteran astrologer from India. "Astrologers cannot be accurate all the time." However, Kim J. Baaden, a participant, said this question had popped up in his head. He quipped that astrologers might have organised the event on the very day of banda, thinking people would have ample time to participate in the conference in a big way. However, some have different excuses. "June 1 is the perfect date by all means, including lunar position, but predictions generally go wrong in Kaliyug," said Dubindra Serma, an acclaimed head guru and astrologer in the Kiranti community. Astrologers prophecise things as per the message of God but God is also facing problems these days, says Divakaran.
The two-day conference aims to promote astrology as a science, initiate collaboration between Eastern and Western astrologers and modernise the traditional science. Interestingly, the conference also aims to sort out problems of inaccuracy in astrology. "Our astrology still predicts that one will have 12-15 children. Nobody believes such predictions however accurate the calculations astrologers claim to be," said Poudel.
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