No 'muhurta' for 51 weddings on Amar Singh's b'day

Varanasi, Jan 25 (UNI) Astrologers here today questioned the solemnisation of 51 marriages at the Goddess Vindhyavasini shrine on January 27 -- marking the 51st birthday of senior Samajwadi Party leader Amar Singh -- claiming there is no 'Vivah Muhurta' on that day.

Mr Singh alongwith wife Pankaja Kumari Singh is slated to perform the 'Kanyadan' of 51 poor girls at a 'shahi vivah' (royal wedding) at the Vindhyavasini temple in Mirzapur, to be attended by high-profile guests, including megastar Amitabh Bachchan, his wife and SP MP Jaya Bachchan, would be couples Aishwarya Rai and Abhishek Bachchan and bubbly Bollywood beauty Preity Zinta.

''No wedding can solemnise on January 27 and February 27, as there is no 'Vivah Muhurta' on both days as per the 'Vishwa Panchang', 'Rishikesh Panchang' as well as the computerised 'Panchang','' city based astrologer and former lecturer at the Jyotish Shastra department of the Banaras Hindu University (BHU) Kameshwar Upadhayay claimed.

Kameshwar -- who is also the cousin of Bachchan family's priest and astrologer Acharya Chadramauli Upadhayay, maintained through out January 27 next -- Mr Singh's 51st birthday -- the 'Kritika nakshatra' (constellation of stars) will be in place, during which not only wedding, but any other auspicious exercise should not be solemnised as per the Jyotish Shastra.

''Out of the total 27 nakshatra's, marriage can be solemnised in 11 nakshatra's including Rohini, Mrigshira, Magha, Mool, Swati, Anuradha, Hasta, Revati, Uttaraphaguni, Uttarashadh and Uttarabhadrapada. As none of these star constellations will be in place on January 27, marriage is not advisable on that day,'' Dr Upadhyaya added.

Also the national convenor of Akhil Bharatiya Vidwat Parishad, Dr Upadhayay further said a person who performs the 'Kanyadan' of 51 girls on January 27 will certainly get the 'poonya' (fortune) of marrying the poor girls. But the newly wed couples are not likely to lead a blissful married life as the Lord of 'Kritika nakshatra' Agni (fire) will render a rocky wedlock to the newly weds, he warned.

Terming the marriage which does not take place in the 'Shubh Vivah Muhurta' as 'Sankirna' (managed or against traditions), the astrolger claimed any marriage which is being performed at a famous Goddess temple like Vindhyachal should be solemnised in consonance with marriage rituals of an 'Arsh or Rishi Vivah' narrated in the Paraskar Griha Sutra scripture. 'Shubh Vivah Muhurta' is a precondition for any marriage being solemenised at the temple.'' Another prominent astrolger of the ancient city, Pandit Rameshwar Nath Ojha went on to say ''not only marriage, but there is no shubh muhurta for any other auspicious occasions -- Mundan, Shilanyas, Griha Pravesh, Vyapar, Gauna or Yagyopavit Sanskar -- on January 27.'' ''There will be two nakshatra's in place on January 27, 'Bharani' till 0836 hrs and 'Kritika' through out the remaining day. Marriages cannot be solemnised in any of the two nakshatra periods as the Lord of 'Bharani nakshatra' is Yamraj (god of death), while 'Kritika' is governed by fire. Now one can guess what will happen to those who wed on this day,'' Mr Ojha said.

''The best remaining dates for marriages this month are January 25, 28 and 29,'' he added.

Meanwhile, a top office bearer of the Amar Singh Fans Association (ASFA) told UNI over phone ''the matrimony of 51 girls will be performed in pursuance of requisite Vedic rituals during the perfect 'Vivah Muhurta' carried out on January 27 by top priests from Varanasi.'' When told there was no 'Vivah Muhurta' on January 27 next, the ASFA office bearer denied any comment.

ASFA sources confided ''preparations at the Goddess Vindyavasini shrine are afoot for the grand birthday celebration of Samajwadi Party (SP) General Secretary Amar Singh, which would be marked by the 'kanyadan' of 51 poor girls. Over 5,000 guests would be invited for the marriage ceremony.'' The marriage would be solemnised with the blessings of the entire Bachchan family -- who are close to Mr Singh -- besides doe-eyed former Miss World Aishwarya Rai, cine actor-turned-SP MP from Rampur Jaya Prada, industrialist Anil Ambani's better half Tina Ambani and Preity Zinta.

The guests are likely to be joined by UP chief minister Mulayam Singh Yadav at the Vindhyavasini temple during the 'Bhagwati pujan' and 'shahi vivah samaroh,' sources added.

The 'Kanyadan' ceremony to be performed by Mr Singh and Pankaja -- who will be on a day long fast -- will also be seen by their twin daughters Drishti and Disha.

UNI