Seethalakshmi/TNN

Bangalore, Apr 18: Gloomy times don’t seem to bother netas. They are spending lakhs of rupees on performing homas and pujas to seek god’s blessings. And the cost? Rs 40 lakh to Rs 50 lakh per homa! Astrology industry is sitting on a whopping Rs 600 crore in Elections 2009.

“We have 62 homas-pujas exclusively for elections. The cost depends on the size of the constituency. A homa for Bangalore Central will be cheaper than that for Bangalore Rural,’’ said noted astrologer K N Somayaji, who is leading a team of 300 priests in performing the rituals for politicians. And if you thought outsourcing existed only in the IT industry, think again. Over 300 Namboodiris (priests from Kerala) have also been called in. “We’ve orders from all political parties, except the communists, from across the country. While some have asked for Athirudra and Sahasrajaadi, others want Vashikarana (to bring others under your spell) and Viparitha Prathyangara to be performed to increase win chances. Some are a combination of homa and others meditation plus other rituals,’’ he stated.

Pujas go on from 72 hours to days. This time, bookings have gone up by 30%. Interestingly, if Congress and BJP candidates want the same ritual, then astrologers follow the first-come-first-served basis to avoid any conflict. The cost includes the priests’ consultation fee (which ranges from Rs 10,000 to Rs 20,000 per day). If the constituency is far, then priests are flown in by chartered aircraft. Astrologers confirmed that politicians from all religions are performing the pujas and homas. For now, secularism seems to be intact.