ANUSHA SELVAMANI
I vividly remember those days. Whenever I went to Little India, there would be an old man sitting in a corner at Tekka Market next to a small green parrot inside a cage.
Fast-forward two decades, and that man can’t be found in Little India or in any other enclave in Singapore. Parrot astrology is very much a thing of the past.
So, it was heartening to bump into Mr Selvaraju Muniyandi last month, who claims to be Singapore’s last parrot astrologer.
“I don’t think many people would even know parrot astrologers exist in Singapore,” said the 53-year-old in Tamil.
I caught Mr Selvaraju in his act at a booth in Birch Road during the Great Indian Food Festival. As a crowd watched, he told his parrot: “Letchumi, can you pick a card for our customer?”
Letchumi, Mr Selvaraju’s sidekick for the last 20 years, slowly emerged from her cage and picked a fortune card from a deck of 27.
“Each of the cards represent a Hindu deity and the message in it will address the person’s current state, be it positive or negative,” explained Mr Selvaraju.
The customer Thashayani Priya, a 19-year old student, was happy with what the card read. “It is positive and a good start for me,” she said.
“I used to see parrot astrologers when I was very young. I was surprised to see there was still someone doing this in Singapore. I do believe in it as my family members love to consult astrologers.”
Mr Selvaraju, a full-time security officer, conducts the readings in public on an ad-hoc basis. Occasionally, his regular customers visit his house for a reading.
“I am doing this as a side business,” he said. “If I was doing only parrot astrology, it would be difficult for me to support a wife and three children.”
At events, he does not charge individuals, but organisers have to pay him $250 for an hour and $150 for each subsequent hour.
Originally from Ipoh in Malaysia, Mr Selvaraju packed his bags for Singapore when he was 18. Here, he worked as a prata maker, before deciding to do something on his own.
Having learnt the art of teh tarik pulling and making kacang puteh from his uncle, he opened his own kacang puteh stall at Tekka Mall, now Tekka Place. He ran the small business for five years.
During that time, he met an elderly parrot astrologer in Little India with whom he struck up a conversation.
“I used to meet him every day,” Mr Selvaraju said. “I can’t even recall his name now, but we became friends. I began to admire his passion for the craft, and developed a liking for his parrot Letchumi, who is with me now.”
Mr Selvaraju then began learning about parrot astrology from the old man. “I found parrot astrology peculiar,” he said. “How could a bird predict so accurately?”
His kacang puteh business came to a halt when Tekka Mall underwent a renovation. “I frantically searched for another place to set up my stall, but I had little money and rents were high. I felt directionless.
“After the old man’s demise, I decided to do parrot astrology full-time as I did not want the craft to vanish. I embraced Letchumi into my life.”
Letchumi is 21 years old now, and Mr Selvaraju is hoping to find another parrot who can deal in astrology.
“I want to bring another parrot either from Malaysia or India, but it’s a challenge,” he said. “I have to make sure that Letchumi stays healthy. I feed her food that does not contain oil or salt.”
According to Mr Selvaraju, “parrot astrology does not predict everything that will happen in a person’s life”.
“People can try it out if they feel down and want to get a clear direction,” he said. “Those who are sceptical about it should not try it out as they will not believe the message.”
Mr Selvaraju wants younger people in Singapore to learn the craft. He has introduced parrot astrology techniques to his three children, and his eldest son usually accompanies him to events.
“I have to introduce it to my children as I’m afraid that after me, the art will die in Singapore,” he said. “We should not just let it go like that. I make sure that my children are aware about this.”
As I wrapped up my conversation with Mr Selvaraju, an old lady approached the booth.
“Oh my! It has been very long since I saw a parrot astrologer in Singapore,” she remarked. “I really miss those days when I used to see a parrot astrologer at Tekka. This feels so nostalgic.”
Madam Jeyakodi Naidu, 72, then handed a $10 note to Selvaraju and asked him for a reading.
Letchumi stepped out from her cage and selected a card using her orange beak. It had a photo of Lakshmi, the Hindu goddess of wealth and fortune.
“So happy to receive a positive sign today,” said Madam Jeyakodi. “I know parrot astrology never goes wrong.”
