The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party, especially Union Human Resource Development Minister Murli Manohar Joshi, had a lesson to learn from the second Pravasi Bharatiya Divas that ended up in Delhi on Sunday.

Joshi, a great votary of astrology as a discipline of science, may be taken aback by the response of Non Resident Indians towards astrology.

The expansive luncheon area at the three-day gala event at Vigyan Bhavan had two pandits who read the palms of delegates and told them their future.

Dressed in traditional yellow dhoti and white kurta with a red tilak on their forehead, the pandits sat with their granths and parrots in two separate makeshift stalls.

Also Read Pravasi Bharatiya Divas 2004

The pandits made an impressive sight as one stepped into the lawn decked up with exotic 'Desi' dishes typical of various states.

Folk dancers from Rajasthan, Gujarat and Punjab were instant crowd-pullers, but panditji's parrots didn't attract the NRIs known to be nostalgic about India's tradition and culture.

Exceptions, however, were there. One such person was Bharat Bhargava, president and CEO of management consultants Bankworld Inc in the US. Bhargava sat patiently with Pandit Sanjay Joshi at his stall.

Joshi asked him his name and told him his planetary positions in Hindi.  Joshi, the astrologer, then asked Bhargava to show him his palms. He took it on his laps and started 'decoding' the 'encrypted' messages on Bhargava's palms.

He started with the past and ended up in future. Bhargava was enthralled by the wonderful future predicted by Joshi. So he took out a Rs 50 note and smilingly handed it over to the astrologer paying him much respect.

Soon as Bhargava moved out of the stall, rediff.com asked him, "How was your interaction with the astrologer, sir?"

"Great fun," he replied. "They tell you your future. It's wonderful," he said with a grin. Asked if he was not taking it seriously, Bhargava said: "Man, it's a joke. Good entertainment. I was just experimenting."

He was amazed when told the government has introduced astrology as a subject in six universities, and the HRD minister believes astrology to be a 'science'. "Is that so," he quipped, before bursting into laughter.

But on a serious note, Bhargava added: "If that's true then its dangerous."

"Subjects that have scientific proof should only be taught to students," he said. "This is all nonsense. We should be careful in what we teach our children because it has a great impact on the gullible young minds."

Few other delegates who visited the astrologers' stalls expressed similar views. It was more out of curiosity rather than belief that they went to the panditji. Interestingly, more journalists visited the stalls than the delegates. And that too looking for a story. Some of the organisers were also seen asking their future from Joshi.

But Joshi was rather honest and forthcoming about the image his profession.

"I know these people make fun of us. They come only for entertainment," said Joshi, who lives with his family in south Delhi's Kalkaji neighbourhhod.

"It is only the religious people who believe in our philosophy. You know these educated people who go abroad also go far from religion. They think we are jokers. But I tell them if you have trust on god then only you will benefit," said Joshi.

Joshi, who has studied till class 9, says many of the foreigners believe more in his art as compared to Indians.

He learned astrology from his father. The profession that he picked up from his family was not worth paying to make his ends meet, says Joshi.

"Now few people believe in astrology. We get Rs 10 to Rs 50 from each customer. If we depend on astrology then we will die starving," said Joshi. "My main earning is from performing pujas, hawans and marriages."

The organisers of the PBD said the idea behind bringing in the astrologers was to give a traditional look at the festival.

"Just like a henna stall and a puppet stall, astrology was also part of it," said an official of the Federation of Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry.