Astrology has always been a very important aspect of the culture of Ladakh predominantly among the Buddhist community. “From the time a person is born till the time he is dead, the word of an astrologer is sought. But the art and education in this field are vanishing gradually with the modern invasion in Ladakh.

Thupstan Shanfan is one of the well-known astrologers of Ladakh and he is practicing it for 63 long years. Born in a small village called Saspotse, his interest in astronomy has led the 72-year-old to be one of the most sought-after men in the Buddhist community of Ladakh. He has been running a small shop but famous shop for around 42 long years where you will find all the important religious things, the most important traditional calendar made by him where you will find every big/small happening of the future. He has also written few books out of which Das Tsris (Astrology) is the most important one.

Q. How did you develop an interest in Astrology? Was it hereditary?

No, it is not hereditary. I developed an interest in it at a very young age. I was born in a village called Saspotse but then Bakula Rinpoche had made education compulsory otherwise fine has to be paid. Since there was no school at Saspotse my parents sent me to Basgo at my Aunt’s place where after 4 years of school a monk of that house called Samstan, who was an Onpo, taught me Bhoti and also about astrology. So from there I started to learn a little bit about astrology but not formally.

Q. How long has it been since you are studying Astrology?

I started studying astrology at a very young age. It was in 1950 when I started to study about astrology, so it has been 63 years. I started with making Lha-to first and then I gradually started printing as well, so on and so forth.

Q. When did you study astrology formally and from whom?

 I never had formal training until I met Rnachung Rinpoche, who is a Tibetan, in Delhi where I had a formal training under him for three years. And in 1971, I came back and opened this shop.

Q. Tell us what astrology in Ladakh is all about?

 It is the study of the moon, sun, and their movement. We can tell when there will be a solar or lunar eclipse, when will the days start getting longer or shorter and accordingly we set the Tibetan calendar in which some of the important religious days of many years ahead are foretold like Namgang, Chonga (full moon), Losar (traditional New Year), Namchot and many other auspicious days. We also predict weather or climate change through our studies. Most importantly from the time a person is born till the time he is dead, the word of an astrologer is sought. We tell about the future of a person and also what will happen after the death of a person if he/she going to take a rebirth etc. We also look for a solution, through astrology, for any diverse situation of a person for examples if a person is sick or going through a really bad time we tell them to perform certain rituals which can correct or lessen those.

Q. Predicting about the days and weather is understandable, but how could you possibly predict the future of a person? How accurate are these predictions?

Yes, we do that if we get the exact date and time of a person’s birth. We again follow the movements of sun and moon according to the dates of birth, and we draw lines till the end and we tell where he/she is going to face a major problem and also tell them the solution in the form of ritual which the Onpo performs. The accuracy depends on the person, how well practiced he is in this field. If the person is an expert in the field his predictions are very accurate.                                                                                                                                                                                                     

Q. There are two categories in this field: Trispa and Onpo. Which one are you and what are the differences?

 I am a Trispa who is an astrologer and Onpo is a person who performs all the rituals that are to be done in a person’s life or on death according to the prediction of a Trispa. We are more of who predicts about weather and about life and death of a person, and what rituals should be performed in a situation that is to come in future and Onpo performs them accordingly.

Q. How is traditional astrology different from scientific/modern astrology?

There is not much difference between them. The traditional astrology is a very old one and I met westerners questioning about the traditional astrology and sometimes they say it has been copied from the science one and then I show them the books which are around thousand years old and talks about astrology. Another difference being, of course, the modern technologies and methods they use in science which the traditional astrology don’t.

Q. You need to have a very good hold in Bhoti language to study traditional astrology, like you have. Did you study Bhoti in school?

No, I did not study Bhoti in school. I studied just till 4th standard in a school where we were taught only in the Urdu language. The monk ‘Samstan’ that I talked about earlier taught me how to read and write in Bhoti and also taught me religious texts not to mention astrology.
 
Q. What are the challenges in the field of traditional astrology in today’s time?

The times have changed and it’s the Science era now. Though we also talk about the movement of the sun and moon and predict the weather, so does science, keeping a pace and harmony with science is a big challenge. Today people are technology savvy, everything is expected to be computerized, so for a person like me who used to study by drawing lines on the mud or a paper, who don’t know much to use new technology is a big challenge. Even for the new generation’s aspirants need to have proper knowledge about modern education and technology.

Q. Do you see a decline in the profession and the need of a traditional astrologer in our society today?

Though a lot of people still do come for us at the occasion of birth and death, there has been a decline in both at large. Earlier there used to be astrologer in each village but with the time that has declined and now you will find only a few are left.  Since I have a shop in Leh, I have been getting more and more customer as compared to a few years back. People from villages also come to me since they don’t have an astrologer in their village anymore and Leh being a hub and at the centre, people from all parts of Ladakh come here, because they need an astrologer all the time.

Q. Do you see a good scope for a traditional astrologer in the coming times or is it on the verge of an extinct? What will you suggest we do to encourage it further?

Yes, there is scope as many institutes have been opened where traditional astrology will be taught in few places in India. But if we talk about Ladakh it seems difficult to see any development in this field though in Central Institute of Buddhist Studies there are few teachers but hardly any students. Nonetheless, traditional astrology is doing very well among the Tibetan community in Dharamshala, Varanasi and many other places. It is the responsibility of the people to protect it and they should realize it is one of the integral parts of our culture which always have been helpful in each Buddhist’s life and even after death. It predicts a person’s life and could save him/her from many adversities in life as well as after death. Young people should come forward to study in this field as it’s still a very sought after and a well-respected job where you can earn well.
 
Q. What is Galdan Namchot? Is it related to Losar?

It’s the death anniversary of Tsongkhapa and we observe it by lighting lots of lamps and it does not have anything to do with the traditional New Year. The date of the New Year is very accurate according to our calendar; it is when both the sun and the moon are bigger at the same time. Sometimes even the western calendar is not that accurate that’s why they keep, deducting and adding days now and then.