Monday, July 10, 2006
Kili Josiam - A parrot, actually a parakeet, tells your fortune. Once a customer agrees on the fee, Rs 10 or so, the bird is let out of the cage and, as it struts out, its master instructs it to pick out a card from the stack in front of it. Each folded card has a paragraph or two of what the future holds for the customer. Here after selecting a card, the bird confirms that it is its final choice by vigorously nodding its head -- that also explains why its head is a blur. The bird's owner reads out the material folded inside the card. Unfortunately, Kili Josiam is on the wane. They used to be quite common and could be seen regularly on Chennai streets. Now you find them mostly on the beach and in a few luxury hotels. If Kili Josiam is getting uncommon the next one is even rarer...
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7 comments:
I had a kili tell my fortune at DakshinChitra :-)
Yes, Tilotamma, apart from the beach it is only in tourist spots like DC can you see these guys.
Which beach is this?
hey we still have kili joshiyam in malaysia on the streets near the indian towns ;) its cute but dont really see them
Tilotamma: it is the Marina.
Visithra: You should check out Kili Josiam - sure to be interesting.
Sorry for the delay in commenting. Good pictures, especially of things that you rarely see in Madras now. Haven't seen the eli josiam. Among the many things that a kili once told me long back was that I would study a lot! Must have meant the same thing over and over again. This after the josiakkaran asked me what I was doing. Apparently the kili is trained to pick the card over which the josian stops his hand and points the grain of rice he is holding in that hand.
Thanks, Ramki. I always thought the parrot was free to select the card. Did not realise the Josiakaran directs the bird.
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