Monsoons to influence markets

Two major factors will inlfuence the stock markets - the monsoon and the global community prices.

Markets had recovered sharply during the latter part of the weekend, showing promise for the bulls. But then the factors mentioned above will influence the bourses considerably.

Everbody knows that the Earth's journey through the Ecliptic produces the seasons and the South West Monsoon started on May 29th, when the Sun entered the 15th degree of Taurus. Kala Varsha, as it is known, hit the southern end of Kerala on this day and it is now raining in Kerala. Rains are expected to accelerate when the Sun transits Lambda Orionis ( Mrigasira ) and Alpha Orionis ( Aridra ). Also the constellations of Pushya and Punarvasu.

An average monsoon is expected and GDP is expected to grow at 8%. The prices of crude, gold etc are a matter of concern. ( And we find that when the stock markets go down, the rupee rate for the dollar goes up. It was 52 against the dollar when the Sensex languished at 7000 levels. It was 39 when the Sensex was at its peak at 21.2 K ).

Renewed speculative activity was seen on the bourses and a heightened activity in small and midcap scrips is probable. Institutional activity seems to be unpredictable, as FIIs buy and sell at random.

Wary investores are disappointed at the uncertainty prevailing in the markets. Recent economic data does not trigger optimism. Industry observers expect the government to kickstart the reform process in the Monsoon session of Parliament to boost the economy. The negative factors are the European debt crisis and double digit inflation, which can have adverse effect on the economy.

The progress of the monsoons will influence the markets greatly, as India is an agrarian economy.

The presence of Jupiter in the adverse 10th in India's horoscope shows problems. Jove in the House of Profession indicates that India will be upgrading her infrastructure and marketing during this phase of 361 days, which is a Jovian year (Barhaspatya) . At the same time, India will be spending a lot on infra and marketing. As the nation improves, there will be problems of rising debt, rising inflation and rising deficit. However Saturn in the House of Help is good and it will boost certain segments. So a mixed time is predicted for India and the Indian stock markets.

Jupiter's Transit of Aries will bring average monsoon !

Average Monsoons are expected this year, as Jupiter traverses the hot Aries. ( Around 2200 mm of rains expected in Kerala ).

According to Astro Meteorology, the Kala Varsha or the South West Monsoon will start from May 29th and Meteorology predicts that it will start on May 31st.

The Arabian Sea Branch of the South West Monsoon or Edava Pathi will start early and the Bay of Bengal Branch of the S W Monsoon will reach Calcultta by the 8th of June. Normally SW Monsoon reaches Bombay by 10th of June.

This time there will be average monsoon on the 825 km Malabar Coast, along coastal Maharashtra, coastal Goa, coastal Karnataka and coastal Kerala. This belt receives the maximum rains and eve in the summer there are rains in Kerala, which looks always greenish !

Kala Varsha is caused by the cold winds from the Indian Ocean, which rush in to neutrallise the hot air of the Thar Desert and North India. Now Thar and N I is very hot and in Rajastan and Surat the heat is extreme. We are situated on the North of the Equator and ours is a Torrid Zone or a Tropical Zone. Hence rains come as a relief from the fierce heat and people normally ignore the devastation it brings !

India is an agrarian economy and the effects of the Monsoon on Indian economy is great. We expect that the GDP growth will hover around 8%, with an average monsoon. Last monsoon was great and we got a 8.9% growth.

India's Transfiguring Hour !

As we said in our columns before, 1030 PM on 02042011, proved to be India's
transfiguring hour !

Some idol worshipping Indians have not acknowledged the role played by
Gambhir. He came in when Sehwag was out second ball and when he got out, the
score was 223/4 and the dew had set in !

"The 97 in the World Cup final was not the best innings in my career but no
doubt the most important one so far," the 29 year old Gambhir told reporters
after reaching Delhi

"It was a special knock for me as it came in a special situation. The whole
country was expecting us to win the World Cup and I have contributed my bit
in India's triumph. So, it was the most important innings of my career."

His Delhi team mate Kohli supported him in a vital 83 run stand for the
third wicket.

"Obviously, a century in the final would have been the icing on the cake.
But winning was more important for the country. If you had hit a century but
your team lost there was no point," said the dashing left hander.

Normally he opens, but when he came in at No 3, India were 0/1, and his
experience as an opener served him well, particularly against the fast
slinging deliveries of Slinga Malinga !

"On the other hand, if you missed a century but helped your team win the
World Cup, that I will take."

One billion people were worried that the Little Master may score a century
and India may lose. One billion minds were worried that Indian batting may
collapse. But when Gambhir and Dhoni took over the responsibility of
steering India to victory, gone were the worries from the minds of the one
billion. One billion felt like World Champions from then on.

Jup Sun MarMer Moo			Ket
Ven	RASI		LA
Rah			Sat

The map of the Heavens at 0230 PM, 02042011, Mumbai.

LA means Lunar Ascendant ( Here Cancer Moon )

On April 1, Moon was the only planet adverse for India. On Apr 2, Moon moved
over to India's House of Fortune and all planets became beneficial.

It was as if the heavens stood ranged to say
"Be Thou The World Champions" !

Saturn in the benign Thirld represented the Crown

Jupiter, Mercury, Moon, Sun, Mars in the Ninth represented Divine Grace

Venus in the Eighth represented Wealth

And the Nodes in the 6/12 represented Conquest

Jupiter in the 9th gives India victory !

Providence ( Jupiter in the House of Fortune ) saved India yet again. Master Batsman Sachin Tendulkar got Man of the Match Award for his blistering 85, but then he had as many as six lives.

Four Paki fielders let him off, Misbah, Y Khan, Afridi and Akmal. He survived two close calls for lbw and stumping. Today was his day.

Let us see the astrological factors.

Yesterday was Dhanishta, his kshema tara or 4th star or Lucky Star. But Dhanishta, which ruled for 57 Nadis ( 23.5 hours ) or right throughout the day was not so good for India or Dhoni. For Dhoni, it was his vipat tara, or adverse star. Hence the nervousness of the Indian spectators and viewers !

For Sehwag, this was his sampat tara or favourable star. Even though he scored only 38, he hit the premier Pak bowler, Umar Gul, for five fours in one over. He hit Gul off his length !

When we analysed, we knew that some factors were adverse and we did remedial measures to overcome those adverse factors. We knew that the Transit positions of Jove and Saturn are benign and so ultimately India will triumph. ( As for me, I fasted in the afternoon, as I badly needed an Indian triumph. I indulged in prayers and meditation right throughout the day and relief came from tension at 1000 PM ).

For Pak, the transits of Jupiter and Saturn are not so benign. Jupiter in the Tenth is Dasame Darika Vadham or adverse for their Ego. Saturn in the 4th is also disconcerting and affected their batting performance in this WC. Not even one Paki batsman had scored a century and they were reckoned formidable because of their excellent bowling !

On 25th, Mars moved over to Pisces, ending some bad luck for India. After then Indian bowling became efficient and fielding improved. Indian fans were afraid that bowlers and fielders might put Sachin & Co down ! But in the QF and SF, Indian bowling and fielding rose to the occasion. The mighty Australians were restricted to 260 in QF and in SF, Pak were bowled out for 231 !

Panic not as Super Moon will not harm Earth !

Now that Super Moon has already harmed ( the tsunami ), it will not harm
furthur !

Here we give the dates of the Super Moon from 1950 to 2050

November 10, 1954
November 20, 1972
January 8, 1974
February 26, 1975
December 2nd, 1990
January 19, 1992
March 8, 1993
January 10, 2005
December 12, 2008
January 30, 2010
March 19, 2011
November 14, 2016
January 2nd, 2018
January 21st, 2023
November 25, 2034
January 13, 2036

To make one revolution of the earth, the moon takes 27.3 days . Since, as the earth has motion and has moved in the heavens, it takes further two days to catch up with the earth. ( Full moon-new moon lunar cycle takes 29.5 days.

The moon's orbit around the Earth is elliptical, and its orbit is inclined at 5.14 deg to the elliptic (earth's path around the sun) with a substantial eccentricity of 5.49 percent (earth's is 1.67 per cent). The Moon at Super Full Moon will be at 217 K kms and at Apogee it is more than 300 K. A difference of more than 100 K kms. The Moon will be Full when it is near Perigee and will appear brighter. Yesterday Moon was a great sight in the heavens.

Jupiter in Pisces will see to that the Earth is not harmed. The Sun Moon
Opposition takes place in Pisces/Virgo and Jupiter is there, posited in
Pisces. Hence we dont see any devastation happening on the 19th in US and
20th in India !


Anyway the Gayathri mantra should be recited for the welfare of humanity !

Jove will save Earth !

Should one worry about the Super Moon? NO!

The Super Full Moon occurs when Sun is in Pisces and Moon comes diametrically opposite at ( 180 degree from the Sun's longitude ) Virgo. This is the Full Moon, the Pournami of Indian Astronomy.

Now Jupiter in Pisces is the Redeeming Grace. Jupiter, the indicator of Divine Grace will save this planet from catastrophes.

Some devastation has already taken place, as the Tsunami hit Japan on the 11th. Still Japan is in a mess. Burning nuclear rectors , earthquakes and tsunamis ravaged Japan and Japan looks like a devastated area.

Jupiter is the divine planet, the wisdom planet and He will not allow this planet to be destroyed !

It will not be the end of the world, as some Doomsday theorists make out. Vedic Astrology does not support Doomsday theories. The sum total Energy in the Universe is a constant and cannot be destroyed ! So no end of the world !

One need not bother unnecessarily about this phenomenon. There were Doomsday theories that the world was going to end in 2000 ! ( There was one grand father of Pongo Twistleton in Wodehouse, who gave all his shirts and pants to a passerby, saying that the end of the world was coming at 1030 AM sharp ! ).

The Sun Moon Opposition !

The Sun Moon Opposition is called Pournami in Sanskrit, when the Moon is 180 degrees away from the Sun.

The Sun Moon Conjunction is called Amavasya in Sanskrit, when the Moon is conjunt 0 degrees with the Sun.

The Super Moon is a Full Moon. The Super Moon is a term coined by the astrologer Richard Nolle.

Yesterday, there was an earthquake in Japan, measuring about 6 on the Richter scale. Japan is devastated by explosions in nuclear reactors, earthquakes and tsunamis or harbour waves !

In 2005, Tsunami struck fifteen days before the Super Moon date. This time almost one week before.

One has to be wary of this week.

Super Moon hits Japan !

Those who decry Astrology should see the post on Super Moon which we posted on 10th. The Tsunami ( japanese for harbour wave ) struck on 11th, causing widespread destruction.

The Super Moon is a Full Moon. Full Moon means that the Moon is away from the Sun in Opposition and New Moon means the Moon is near the Sun in conjunction.

This phenomenon is known to astro savants and to the Indian mind, Astronomy, Astrology and Mathematics are epistemically correlated.

Some people, due to the influence of Anti Paganism, decry Astrology. This is because during early childhood, they have been taught by the ignorant priesthood that Astrology is hog wash !

The priesthood, sunk in Nescience, believes in the phenomenon of water turning into wine and such irrational miracles. They believe in the Immaculate Conception, which is not physiologically possible ! Another dogma is the Resurrection, which is not scientifically possible.

Oil & Stock Market move towards the state of 2008

Experts consider that the Stock Market and Oil Market are retrograding back to the state of 2008, when acute Recession was observed.

Oil had peaked to $140 per barrel then. Then the main causative factor was the economic crises in almost all developed countries.

Today the main cause is the unrest in all oil producting countries. Oil price may go to the Resistance Level of $140 !

Meanwhile, Obama has opined that increased demand for cooking gas and oil from the BRIC nations ( Brazil, India, China and Russia ) is responsible for the oil price hike. These economies are fast, developing economies and they need more oil and gas. Obama was addressing the media about the oil price rise.

If in 2008, oil price hike was due to recession in many countries, today the cause is that some countries ( BRIC nations ) are developing fast !

At the moment, India is on a growth curve with exports expected at $ 230 billion and imports at $ 317 b. A deficit of 87 b ! Indian exports crossed the 200 b mark in the first eleven months this fiscal. Feb exports was over $ 20 b.

The growth of the export sector, therefore, will be 50%, as India exported around $ 160 b last year.

India is planning to increase exports to the tune of $ 450 b in three years. But then what will be the figure of imports ?

So a robust 8.6 % growth is forecast for the Indian economy. Astrologically, India is under the favourable Jupiterian transit till May 6th and the benign Saturnine transit till Nov 15. After these dates are over, India will be facing adversity. Jove in the 10th and Saturn in the 4th give scope for alarm and despondency. We do not know how the oil price rise will affect India. As India imports 70% of its oil requirement, she may be adversely affected by the oil price hike !

Senex down by 200 points, The Super Moon ( Tsunami ) Effect ?

JupMerSun			Ket
Mar	RASI
Ven			Moo
Rah			Sat

The Lunar Perigee ( when the Moon is closest to earth ) is called Supermoon and is believed to cause earthquakes and natural disasters.

That Moon causes tides is well known and Supermoon may affect tides.

On Mar 19, the Moon will be 221,567 miles from earth, the nearest point in 20 years.

There were Superomoons in 55,74,92 and 2005 and these years were characterised by extreme weather conditions.

Weatherman John Kettley said about the phenomenon on Mar 19th."A moon can't cause a geological event like an earthquake, but it will cause a difference to the tide. If that combines with certain weather conditions, then that could cause a few problems for coastal areas."

Astrologically, Sun will be at 334 degrees and Moon at 143 degrees.

As a remedial measure, the mantra of the Moon Om Saum Somaya Namah can be chanted. Also the Gayatri mantra, as natural calamities affect the psyche of universal humanity !

Om Bhoo Bhuvah Swah
That savithur varenyam
Bhargo Devasya Dheemahi
Dhiyo yo no prachodayath

Some astronomers, who decry Astrology, says there wont be much problem during this phenomenon of Extreme Super Moon.

We are giving the Anti Thesis ( to the Astrological Theory of Lunar Perigee) here, the opinion of Pete Wheeler of the International Centre for Radio Astronomy.

Wheeler stated, "(The Earth will experience) just a lower than usual low tide and a higher than usual high tide around the time of the event, but nothing to get excited about."

"Remember in the past, planetary alignments were going to pull the sun apart. It didn't. Astrologers draw a very long bow most times. Normal king tides are about all I would expect out of this Super Moon prediction," he added.

The Web world is in fact, influenced by the Super Moon phenomenon and this is very much evident in Google trends, a public facility of Google Inc, based on Google Search, that shows how often a particular search-term is entered relative to the total search-volume across various regions of the world, and in various languages.

Within a few day, the Earth could be headed for a big showdown. Some experts also claimed that huge storms, earthquakes, volcanoes and other natural disasters will occur on Saturday, Mar 19. On the very day, the moon will swing around Earth more closely than it has in the past 18 years.

Extreme Super Moon is the term coined by those who are well versed in the Art of the Nine Revolving Heavens ( Astrology ).

Only bowlers can deny Sachin the WC

Pardon for this digression, I cannot conceal my admiration of Sachin !

It seems Indian bowlers and fielders are ready to let Sachin down !

Sachin does not bat alone. The nation of 1.2 billion bat with him ! He is their Redeemer, their second Moses, who shows them the divine, Promised Land !

The way he played on Sunday, careful in the initial stage and then blossoming in the latter stages, was a great display of batsmanship. There are many critics who say he is playing for records, like Gavaskar. The five massive sixes he smote, the ten fours he blasted, all pointed out his class !

This is a pauper nation pleading for relief, said the poet. From the long remission of the angst of being Indian ! And walking in spirit with their visored Redeemer !

When he cracked his 98th hundred, he has set the records on fire. Another milestone awaits him in this WC. 2000 runs in the WC. Two more centuries and he will become immortal.

FII investment in mutual bonds, a bullish factor !

The Sensex rose, when the FM announced that FII investment is welcome in Mutual Funds. This will pave the way for billions coming in to the mutual funds sector.

The Sensex rose 623 points yesterday, an inordinate rise. Experts feel that more dollars will find its way into the Indian stock market.

The Budget was said to be populist, but it will not hurt Industry. It comforts the middle class man ( IT limit increased to 1.8 lk ) and Industry.

On the whole, an industry friendly budget and the initial euphoria has led to the inordinate rise of the Sensex !

The FM has done a balancing act, he has to please both Industry and the Common Man.

Ridham Desai, the MD, Morgan Stanley India, said that the move to allow global investors in mutual funds is very positive. Another positive factor is the infra spending of 27% more. He expects a positive impact of 50-60 bps on earnings. He expects the markets, Sensex and Nifty, to perk up by a furthur 20%.

"I think the budget was okay, there was nothing bad in the budget. I guess market expectations were a little bit on the lower side. So, I think there is a sigh of relief that there is nothing untoward in the budget.

I think he has done a decent balancing act. There were a lot of constituencies to serve. I think there is a bit of skepticism on the numbers, maybe the revenue side is a tad aggressive and on the subsidy side, he has been maybe a little bit too aggressive on the downside. So, maybe eventually he is going to have a tough fight on his hand to meet these numbers.

But apart from that, I think there were a few positive takeaways, which the market I don’t think has immediately paid attention to, I don’t see a lot of investors have paid attention to it. This whole thing about the Nandan Nilekani Committee is a very positive signal. The move to allow foreign individuals to invest in domestic mutual funds is positive.

I think there is a fair bit of infrastructure. If we look at the split of expenditure, he is budgeting for a 27% increase in infrastructure spending. Now, in a budget where overall spending is rising 3.5%, that is a huge skew towards a particular sector in terms of spending. Ofcourse the skeptics will come back and say but he didn’t do it last year, he had spending increased last year and he underdelivered. But the fact is that he has chosen to discriminate all his spending basket. He has picked out infrastructure for his spending, which I think is the key area where we need the spending.

So, he is doing the right things. Now, it is all down to execution. It is easy to stand up now and say, “They will not execute and be skeptical about it.” I think the other way of looking at it, which is my way of looking at it, is we will see we will wait and watch and give them the benefit of doubt right now and come back late to check whether the executions have happened or not. So, I am reasonably okay with the budget. I think it is pretty okay for the market."

"The market interest rates, to me, at various levels look like we are almost done. The only caveat here is what happens to oil. In 2008, when oil went up, we responded with the very sharp increase in rates. If oil does go up to USD 130-140 per barrel then that may have some implication on short-term rates. Otherwise, I think deposit rates we are mostly done, lending rates may go up a little bit. The RBI definitely needs to move a little bit maybe another 75-100 bps over the next nine-twelve months, but not a lot left on short rates. I think we are dealing with almost peak rates across various market interest rates."

We had said in our columns that India is running a good time, astrologically. Jupiter in the 9th and Saturn in the 3rd are both favourable. Period wise, India is running Sun Dasa/ Rahu Bhukthi. The ICTT Terminal at Vallarpadam became operational during this phase. Vibrant Gujarat mopped up 450 billion during this time. The Sensex is going up, thanks to the govt allowing global investors to invest in the mutual funds sector. Bullish news will come in during favourable times and during unfavourable times, bearish news ! The markets normally go down after budgets. But this time, due to the pragmatism of the FM, it is otherwise !

Economic Survey 2011

FDI in Retail has been advocated by the Economic Survey of 2011. There can be private participation in the social sector.

It is good that the farm sector has clocked in 5.4% growth. Forex reserves at $297 billion. The foodgrain production has gone up to 232 million tonnes.

With the financial planet, Jupiter, in the favourable House of Fortune, this good news has come in.

As food prices rise, there is an imperative need for immense investment in the agri sector. It is due to the good performance of the agri sector that the economy has clocked in 8.6% growth.

The survey calls for a second green revolution. As the world is undergoing a Food Crisis, the solution is to upgrade agriculture so that India becomes the granary of the world.

As far as the stock market is concerned, every correction is good.

Cricket Astrology and Mars

In Cricket Astrology, Mars is the planet of Cricket and the 3,6,7 and 11 houses are very important.

The Third House signifies ability, courage, hands, energy, fitness, mental strength, intelligence. The Sixth House represents enemies, victory, action and competition. The Seventh House represents the opponent. The Eleventh House represents fame, gain, fulfillment of desire, ambitions, profits, wishes and desires.

Sagittarius represents ground playing games and the Signs which trine Sag like Leo and Aries also become significant. Aries is the natural Ascendant of the Cosmic Man or Kalapurusha and Leo, the sign of sports and games.

Mars represents the organising ability, administration, competition, determination and energy ( sathvam kujo ) . Mars is the most important planet in Cricket Astrology and you will find powerful Mars in the horoscopes of Cricketers. The power of 3,6,7 and 11 Houses also denote cricketing success.

Mars is in the 7th House in Aries, forming Ruchaka Maha Yoga, in the horoscope of Kapil Dev.

Mars is exalted in the horoscopes of Wadekar, Gavaskar and Tendulkar.

Mars is powerfully posited in Scorpio in the horoscope of the Wall ( Dravid ).

In Ganguly's horoscope, Mars aspects the 6th and 7th Houses.

Mars tenants the Ascendant in Srinath's horoscope.

Mars is powerfully posited in the 3rd in Sehwag's horoscope.

Mars aspects the 5th House, in Yuvraj's horoscope.

Mars is powerfully posited in own sign, in C K Nayudu's horoscope.

Mars is placed in the 5th, in Leo, in Bradman's horoscope.

Summer Rains !

Yesterday it rained heavily for more than two hours. Started from 0600PM and lasted till 0830 PM.

There is a saying in Malayalam " Kumbha mazhayil kathirum pookam " - that anything will sprout during the summer rains in the sidereal months of Aquarius.

Temperature may rise to more than 40 degrees in the sidereal months of Aquarius ( Kumbha ) and Pisces ( Meena ).

Kerala receives more than 400 mm rains during the summer. This comes as a big relief from the blistering heat. And when Kala Varsha ( South East Monsoon ) comes, people welcome it as a merciful release, even though it can wreak havoc on the "rural infrastructure" !

Jove in the 9th. Export target will be realised !

Indian exports zoomed to $20 billion last month and touched $184 billion. Two more months to go and the $200 b target will be met.

We have already said that favourable Jupiter and Saturn will give India some breaks. There is a 32% growth in exports.

Within three years, the export target will be $450 billion. Indian industry is confident of doing that.

Regarding the stock market correction, all technical corrections are healthy. So these corrections are healthy and the market, after falling to low levels, will rise. Jupiter and Saturn are creating favourable corrections.

Jupiter in Pisces augurs well for Indian Cricket

JUP			KET
MARMER SUN
VEN RAH	MOO		SAT

Till May 6, Jupiter will be in Pisces, in the 9th. The World Cup, therefore, will take place when Jupiter transits the 9th. Saturn will be in the favourable third. The only negative factor is that Mars will be moving over to the 8th, on 20th March. So things are looking good for India ! There may be slices of bad luck after 20th March.

Jupiter was in the Fifth, a favourable house, in Scorpio when India won the 1983 World Cup.

Imran Khan, the former Pak skipper, was on TV yesterday contradicting Petersen's view that the WC longish schedule is negative.

On the other hand, it is positive, he feels. The greatest threat a team can face is injuries. He cited the example of the Pak defeat in the 1987 final, when their 3 major players were injured.

Now India is also smarting from injuries. Praveen Kumar is flying to England for treatment and Sreeshant may be roped in. Asked about Sreeshanth, Imran said that Sreeshant is not a bad replacement. His oustwingers are excellent.

About the Pak skipper problem, Imran said that Misbah does not have adequate experience. The World Cup will be fiercely competitive, and Misbah simply do not have the experience to handle tough situations, which may arise. Misbah did play well yesterday, scoring 93 no and winning the match for Pakistan.

Imran said India are favourites and Sri Lanka are second favourites. But he warned that Pakistan can be the dark horse. Pak may enter the semis, upsetting the theory that Sri Lanka or SA, Australia, England and India may reach the semis.

Dhoni said he will convert pressure into responsibility.

There is a theory that India in 1983 had nothing to lose, as they were written off as underdogs, and hence they performed well, as they played without pressure. They were not a star studded side, like the present one, and was a team of bits and pieces players. Bits and players players are players capable of taking one or two wickets, and can score 30/40 runs. Not people who score 200 not out !

The present Indian team is star studded, with a lot of watchwinners. Sachin is the top scorer in ODIs with 200 no against SA, we have Yuvraj who created a record in the T20s by hitting six sixes in an over ( overtaking Sobers' and Shastri's performances, which was only in county cricket ), an explosive batsman in Sehwag and a blitzkreig batsman in Y Pathan. More experienced is this team than the 1983 squad. The only enemy India will face is pressure. As Trevor Bailey used to say " It is the situation". It is pressure which will be the no 1 enemy. Look at Pathan's last innings. When India were 113/8, the game was almost over. And Yathan played without any pressure. When he scored a hundred with 8 sixes and 8 fours, then pressure crept in. There was a chance for India to win and then when pressure came, he got out, giving the match on a platter to the South Africans !

It is easy for Dhoni to say he will change pressure into responsibility. If Indian players do not perform well, they would have let the 1 billion Indians down. They are playing before a 100,000 crowd, watched avidly by miliions of cricket crazy Indians. There is tremendous pressure on all teams, but more on India. When everybody thinks that India is favourite, pressure becomes enormous. But then, India are on their home ground and home ground advantage can be benign !

India's strength lies in her spinning allrounders. Yuvraj, Pathan, Sehwag, Sachin, Raina all can bowl and they are fairly well experienced. Another factor in their favour is the position of the heavens. Jupiter in Pisces is in the 3rd in India's national horoscope. Saturn in the 3rd is a redeemer !

India is currently placed 2nd in ODIs, ICC Rankings. Retaining that spot brings in another pressure situation ! Complacency should be avoided at all costs and anything can happen in one day cricket. Most of the teams are more or less equal. Australia, England, South Africa and Sri Lanka can stage upsets at any time. They have better fast bowlers than India !. ( Allan Border is of the view that Aussies with three genuine fast bowlers will lift the Cup )

It is to be noted that this will be Sachin's last World Cup. He has created all records except one. He is not like, like Kapil Dev, a member of the WC victors ! What greater gift can be there than consecrating the WC to Sachin Tendulkar ?

$220 billion washed away

The stock investors have lost 11 lk crores in the last two months and the Sensex has lost more than 2600 points !.

Looking like a bubble which bursts every now and then, the Indian stock market, like all stock markets, is highly risky.

It rose from 3000 to 21000, then fell back to 7000 and then rose again to 21 K. It is now hovering around the 18 K mark and has lost 2600 points since Diwali.

Runaway inflation and high food inflation, lack of infrastructure, less agri produce due to climate change, lack of human resources - all these plague the Indian economy.

Political instability due to India Shaming ( widespread corruption ) has added fuel to the fire.

If Technical Analysis states that all scrips display regular and recurrent patterns of behaviour ( also the Sensex and the Nifty ), then we can say that the coming days are tough for the Indian market. Even though GDP may quadruple and the Sensex may go beyond the 50 K mark in ten years time, now we cannot see a surge in the Sensex or the Nifty for the time being.

Ms Gita Gopinath, Professor of Economics at Harvard and hailed as the successor to the Nobel Laureate Amartya Sen, feels that India has to improve infrastructure and human resources to overcome the negative traits in the Indian economy.

Food inflation ( 18%) has been brought about by Asian affluence, rising incomes and great demand and less supply. Consumerism is the main causative factor. Agri produce do not go up due to Climate Change. Lack of infra is another factor.

We have to do agriculture on lands which lie barren now, increase productivity and yield and improve vital infrastructure like road, rail and inland waterways.

The Decoupling Theory is true. Only the BRIC nations have not been much affected by the global meltdown ( Brazil, Russia, India, China ). India still could grow at 9%.
Neither the European nations nor the US have escaped from recession. Unemployment also rose in these countries. India and other BRIC nations have not been so affected, mainly because of the governmental controls and a strong domestic market. Controls are less in the developed economies. There is some control on Banks, but not on other financial institutions and they are suffering as a result. Now the US is thinking of brining in controls to save the ailing economy.

The dollar is falling now. So is the Euro. Until the dollar stabilises, gold will continue to rise. This is because China is investing in gold, because of their high dollar reserves.

In the future, the Indian presence will be felt in the economic field. BRICs will rise in the next ten years. India has the maximum working people in the age group 25-55 years. If India improves infrastructure and human resources, she may well become the third economic power in the world, by 2020 !

Astrologically, even though Jupiter in the 9th augurs well for India, she is running the period of the Sun, who is posited in the 3rd.So let India be on guard !

Sisira Rithu, the hot summer of Kerala !

The sidereal months of Sagittarius and Capricorn constitute Hemanta Rithu. The coldness has not left Kerala. This Hemanta Rithu will be there till the 12th of February.

Sisira Rithu, the sidereal months of Aquarius and Pisces, is very hot indeed. It normally starts from the 13th of February to the 13th April ! During this sixth season of India, hot spells are normal and more than 100 people perished last year due to sunstroke.

Now it is still cold in the morning and even during midday. No need for air conditioners during this season.

Evening is also characterised by cold winds. The Sun will be transiting Sravana, Alpha Aquilae, initiating Thiruvonam Njattuvela tomorrow.

Amongst the six Rithus or seasons, Vasanta ( Medam & Edavam ) is comparitively less hot, Greeshma ( Gemini and Cancer ) and Varsha ( Leo and Virgo ) are rainy seasons, Sarat ( Libra and Scorpio ) is less rainy, Hemanta ( Sagittarius and Capricorn ) is cold and dry and Sisira ( Aquarius & Pisces ) is very hot indeed !


Correspondence between Music and Art

Herbert Read knew the correspondence between Music and Art. " All Art tends to Music", he averred. Human beings are inseparable from their surroundings. It so happens that dusk, dawn, the season, the nature, the lightning, the thunder - all these affect the mood of Man. This mood gives rise to Rasa and every possible Rasa in connection with these circumstantial surroundings has been found to be conveyed through Raga. The world of Ragas, therefore, has all the variety of Life and experiences of Man. This is so true of Indian Music. Seasons or Rithus are a dimension of the vast game of Life and Creation !

The Six Seasons of Indian Philosophy are ruled by Planets

For instance,

Vasanta Rithu is ruled by Venus
Greeshma by Mars and Sun
Varsha by the Moon
Sharath by Mercury
Hemanta by Jupiter
Sisira by Saturn

The Law of Correspondences state that the Six Seasons are related to the six Chakras, according to Kundalini Yoga. The Highest Chakra, the Sahasrara, the Thousand Petalled Lotus, is beyond Time and transcends everything. The lower six Chakras get mildly activated during the six seasons -

Ajna Chakra in Vasanta
Vishuddha in Greeshma
Anahata in Varsha
Manipura in Sharath
Swadhistana in Hemanta
Muladhara in Sisira



Sisira Rithu ( Kumbha & Meena ) is also the mango season, when mangoes are plenty in Kerala. Mangoes are used in Fish curry, in pickles and in all curries. Mango is a substitute for tamarind in curries. Mango pickles are of many types. Tender mangoes make excellent pickle and are known as Vadu Mango Pickle. Cut Mango pickles goes by the name Chethu Manga. Mangoes are dried and pickled. Ripe mangoes are eaten. With red chilli poweder, ripe mangoes are an excellent dish. Special type of pickle comes from Andhra known as Avakkai.

Tender mangoes are also pickled in brine.

India leads in the production of mangoes. 13.5 million tonnes. China is second at 3.7 million tonnes. Mango is a fruit indigenous to the Indian subcontinet and is the national fruit of India, Pakistan and the Philippines. The word mango is derived from the Malayalam manga .

Widely used in Cuisine, chutneys are made from sour, unripe mangoes. Mango Lassi, a popular drink in S Asia, is made by mixing ripe mangoes, curd and sugar. Mangoes can be eaten raw with salt. A cooling summer drink called panna comes from mangoes. Green mangoes can be used as mango salad with dried shrimp and fish sauce.

Mango is rich in phytochemicals and nutrients. Also vitamins and minerals. The antioxidant vitamins A, C and E compose 25%, 76% and 9% of the DRI ( Dietary Reference Intake ) in a 165 gms serving. Mangoes also contain Vitamin B6, Vitamin K, B vitamins and other nutrients.

The Global Food Crisis

Food Inflation is going beyoud the common man's reach. In India, the food inflation has been underestimated at 18.4%. 33 countries have been affected by this phenomenon.

Let us analyse what are the causative factors for Food Inflation.


The main causes are

Water Resources depletion
The rising prices of Crude
Climate Change affecting Agriculture leading to floods and draughts
Population growth outstripping food growth
Global Population Growth 4%
Global Food growth 1%
Japanese and Indians consuming more proteins
Middle class Indians and Chinese eating more


So the main causes are more or less man made. Unless we control the global population, control the prices of crude, emit less Green House Gases into the atmosphere, we are in for big trouble.

The 4.4% growth recorded by the farm sector is encouraging, but this tempo has to be maintained. India has to feed 1.17 billion people and the world 6.5 billion. There are not enough resources on this planet.

The Garland Canal Project

The Interlinking of Rivers Project, proposed under the NDA Government has not taken place. The result of this project will be that the income of the farmer will be tenfold - up from 50 dollars per acre to 500 dollars per acre. If done, it will be a mega civil engineering feat. This Project envisages linking all the rivers of India via a Garland Canal and blocking the water from flowing into the sea. There are many rivers which flow into the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal. The water flowing into the Arabian Sea will be blocked and will be diverted to the North. The Garland Canal project can give almost 40 GW of electricity and the farmers will have adequate water. No more farmer suicides. The cost of the Project has been estimated at $ 122 billion. There is criticism by some, saying that India cannot afford such a project.

Since everything is interrelated, these factors will affect the stock market as well. We find that the market has fallen from the peak of 21.K !