For, Jyotish Pandit Ashwin Rele (46) from Matunga has spent over 16 years researching the somewhat quirky subject of palmistry for monkeys. And Rele can now predict the lifespan, talents and health of monkeys just as he does for humans.

“In 1992, a thought came to my mind that if monkeys are our ancestors, many parts of our body would resemble theirs. I was a palmist, majorly into sole-reading and so I decided to check out whether there are lines likes those of humans on the soles and palms of monkeys. For this, I took help from Dr Vani and Dr Karavle, both veterinarians at Byculla zoo. Initially, they were surprised at my request but subsequently they were very co-operative,” Rele says.

And, to nobody’s surprise, Rele found that monkeys too have lines on their palms. “Like us, monkeys even have a business line on their palms. And only those with such lines make it to the circus or television serials or movies. Likewise, if there is a star mark on the sun mound on the sole of the monkey, he becomes famous. If not in the circus or the movies, these become the leaders of their groups,” Rele says.

Interestingly, Rele even claims that every monkey has several marriage lines on his palm. “In humans we mostly have one or two, but in monkeys these lines are several, since they spend their life with several partners.”

To keep researching, Rele often visits circuses and predicts the health and future of the monkeys there. “I come across madaris (monkey-trainers) on the road and I start examining the palms of their monkeys. The madaris ask me various questions. I then tell them about their animals’ life, health and other things,” Rele says.

Having shocked his family in 1992 when he plunged into this subject, Rele now wants to study matters like which monkeys are best suited for medical research or vaccination trials.

“My wife is a professor in SNDT College and is an MSc in oceanography. Initially, she thought this was very unusual, but she has been supportive all these years,” says Rele who stays in Matunga with his parents, wife and a school-going son.