Star-gazer to the nation
People from all walks of life sought Daniel Gamaariya's counsel,writes
Laila Nasry
Can one predict one's own passing? Famed astrologer Daniel Gamaariya
told a family member recently that "Me para pahalava pananna bari vei"
(I will not be able to get past the 15th this time), and sadly, like in
many of his renowned predictions, Gamaariya was a hundred percent accurate.
He died on November 10 at the age of 89.
In his chambers in Gangodawila, Nugegoda, his chair is vacant. On the
table lies a desktop clock, magnifying glass, a few rolls of kenderas...the
last strands of evidence of a dedicated practice which spanned over half
a century and made him a household name. The master is no more. For a nation
that looks to the stars on every conceivable occasion, the loss is immense.
His clients came from all walks of life. The rich, the famous, the not
so famous, the politicians, the businessmen, doctors, judges and ordinary
folk. Be it for elections, a business venture, marriage or auspicious times,
they all sought Mr. Gamaariya's advice on their possible fortune or misfortune
as written in the stars.
It was a Buddhist priest who first introduced the young Gamaariya to
astrology. Hailing from a family of astrologers, his great grandfather
both a vedamahattaya and astrologer, saw in his stars that he too had the
makings of a great astrologer. "It was the monk at the Saliyale Pirivena
in Gampola who first introduced my father to the field and from there on,
it was a case of improving by reading books on the subject," says Ranjith
Gamaariya, the only son among seven daughters in the Gamaariya family.
He speaks with pride of his father's fame. "Anybody can be an astrologer
these days. But you have to have a certain standing in the profession and
that's what my father had_a strong practice based on his dedication and
enthusiasm." Referring to the numbers who turned out for his funeral as
testimony he adds, "A famous doctor came up to me and said he knew my father
from a time even he couldn't recall, while there were others who had come
to him from way back in the forties. An entrepreneur speaking at the funeral
said that father gave auspicious times with such gladness, always wishing
him continued success and that every venture had been a success."
His father was always accurate when it came to illnesses, so much so
that at times doctors had asked, "How did you know? Who told you so?" Ranjith
added.
Growing up with an astrologer father meant uncanny warnings of events
in one's life. "He would tell me 'during this time be cautious in your
work because there can be a loss of job, change of job or a split in the
family'. And just as he said, I was transferred to a new post and parted
from my family," Ranjith recalled.
Not every aspect of life in their family, though, was ruled by the stars.
"Whilst most of us got married on proposals with perfectly compatible horoscopes
there were a couple of us who fell in love."
"When people got to know I was his grand-daughter they would ask 'apitath
puluvanda hambavenna'(can we also meet him?). Inevitably teachers, friends
and neighbours were brought home," says Shehara Navaratne, Daniel Gamaariya's
eldest grand-daughter.
"Seeya never discussed his clients or his predictions," she adds. But
growing up as his neighbour for 21 years made her privy to his never-ending
clientele. "He would work until eight in the night until very recently
when he had an eye operation." As a little girl playing outside his chambers
she heard her grandfather attend to his clients. "They would come to get
auspicious times, their horoscopes read and even when they had marital
problems. Not that I was eavesdropping," she says with a grin and remembers
being dismissed to the back yard when the play got too noisy and disturbing.
As a member of the third generation, she recalls predictions she found
impractical. "There were days when he said you shouldn't have a bath,"
which were inevitably disobeyed. "We grew up with these things. There were
those we believed and those we didn't. But he never compelled us to follow
the stars. But he used to get very concerned when it was the 'apale kale'
and would often call and check on us." Nevertheless his predictions were
always accurate. "He told my mother that I will get married only after
26 and I was 27 when I got married."
At times they approached him for predictions. "We asked him about the
state of the country now and he said that it's a bad period. There will
be much bloodshed, theft and arson." What of the millennium? "Seeya paththra
valata liuva. Api paththara valin kiyewwa." (Grandfather wrote to the papers
about it and we read what he said.)
Behind the astrologer, Shehara found a guiding light in her life. "He
was my friend, confidante and mentor. I never felt he was an elder. He
would always come down to my level." She remembers him as a devout Buddhist
who was a regular at Kataragama.
"He was also very conscious of his appearance. He wore the best of colognes,
used shaving foam and aftershave. He loved music and dancing."
"I know he was one of the best, very committed to his profession," said
Dr. Kingsley Goonetilleke, a fellow astrologer recalling Mr. Gamaariya's
famous predictions in the past such as the 1971 insurrection, the retirement
and death of Dudley Senanayake and Chandrika Kumaratunga winning a second
term in office as President.
Having met Mr. Gamaariya on several occasions Dr. Goonetilleke recalls
his fluency in Pali and Sanskrit. "The Gamaariyas were a family of astrologers.
But it's a pity none of his children have taken it up."
"Father tried teaching some of us astrology. First my youngest sister,
but it didn't work out. Then he started training my daughter, but she opted
to pursue her studies," says Ranjith.
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