Dr. B. V. Raman
Dr. RAMAN was born on August 8, 1912. He spent his whole life in the study of relations between cosmic and terrestrial phenomena. He was able to demonstrate by his writings and predictions made through THE ASTROLOGICAL MAGAZINE and other media that the astrological theory of cosmic influences affecting life is essential correct. He not only took astrology to the west and other countries but also created new respect for it in the country of its origin.
Through a number of books, lectures and research papers, DR. RAMAN influenced the educated public and made them astrology-conscious. His special fields of research and study were Hindu astronomy, astro-psychology, weather and political forecasts, disease diagnosis, natural calamities, management and other areas of human life in relation to celestial phenomena.
Dr. RAMAN travelled round the world several times representing India at the Astrological Congress held at Cambridge, England and the International Astrology Conference at New York. He delivered innumerable lecturers in Germany, England, France, Italy, Austria, Holland, Canada, Japan and the United States of America, addressing universities, medical associations and educational and cultural institutions on different aspects of astrology, Hindu astronomy, philosophy and Indian culture.
Dr. RAMAN was the first to deliver a lecture “Relevance of Astrology in Modern Times” in 1970 at the United Nations, New York, which evoked much interest in diplomatic circles.
Dr. RAMAN presided over several important conferences at both national and international levels. He delivered the keynote address at the First International Symposium on Vedic Astrology in October 1992 at San Rafael, California, U.S.A. when he was honoured with the Life-time Achievement Award for his services to the cause of astrology. He was conferred the “Man of the Year – 1995” award by the Centenarian Trust, Madras, formed in the memory of the Kanchi Paramacharya, in February 1996. He was the inaugural speaker and chief guest at the National Conference on Disaster and Technology held at Manipal on 25-9-1998.
Dr. RAMAN received an honorary Ph.D. from the Pythagorean University in 1947, in the same year, he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society, London and a member of the Royal Asiatic Society. He was awarded the degree of Doctor of Literature by the Akhila Bharateeya Samskrita Sammelana in 1968 and the honorary degree of Doctor of Letters by the Kumaon University (U.P.) in June 1976. Dr. RAMAN holds a string of titles such as Abhinava Varahamihira, Jyotisha Bhanu, Jyotisha Vignana Marthanda, Jyotisha Ratna, Abhinava Bhaskara, Jyotisha Bhooshana etc. conferred on him by various organizations.
Dr. B.V. RAMAN was born in a village near Bangalore in 1912 and had his early education in a village school. He completed his collegiate studies in Science at Central College, Bangalore. During the period of his studies in the University, he also specialized in homeopathy ad obtained a Diploma.
Dr. RAMAN restarted THE ASTROLOGICAL MAGAZINE IN 1936 and was its editor for over 62 years until his passing away on December 20, 1998. In fact, this is a unique case of one single individual editing a monthly uninterruptedly for over 62 years and rightly merits a place in the Guinesses’ Book of Records.
Following Dr.RAMAN’s death, the editorship, according to his instructions, devolved on his daughter Gayatri Devi Vasudev. Unfortunate circumstances forced her to resign with the July 2007 issue of the magazine. Within months of her resignation, THE ASTROLOGICAL MAGAZINE closed down under the new dispensation and in March 2009, took rebirth as MODERN ASTROLOGY under Gayatri Devi Vasudev’s editorship.
THE ASTROLOGICAL MAGAZINE , held to be the only journal of its kind in Asia, earned an international reputation as a great exponent of Indian culture in general and astrology in particular. Its views were held in esteem by the educated public. Dr. RAMAN made, through the columns of THE ASTROLOGICAL MAGAZINE and through his publications, several outstanding and brilliant predictions about world events such as the Second World Warm —its course and termination; fates of Hitler, Mussolini, Hirohito and other world celebrities; Indian Independence, the tragic assassination of Mahatma Gandhi and other notable events such as the Chinese invasion of India, Pandit Nehru’s death, Khruschev’s fall, Johnson’s election, Nixon’s election and fall, Indo-Pakistan conflicts, West Asian Wars, fall of the Shah of Iran, Vietnam War, the declaration of Emergency in India, the assassination of the Bangladesh President, death of the Soviet leader Brezhnev etc., not to speak of earthquakes and other natural disasters with amazing accuracy.
