Roop Chand Joshi
Pandit Roop Chand Joshi (18 January 1898 – 24 December 1982)[1] was an Indian author who is noted for having written currently available versions of Lal Kitab, a collection of books on Vedic science of astrology and palmistry.
Biography
Pandit Roop Chand was born in a Hindu Brahmin family to Pandit Jyoti Ram Joshi,[1] a revenue official in Punjab of British India. He was resident of village Pharwala, Nurmahal tehsil in Jalandhar district of Punjab. He authored the presently available version during the years 1939 to 1952 in five volumes, is regarded as the master of this science.[2]
While some regard him also as originator of this books or this branch of vedic astrological science while others believe original writer preferred to remain anonymous and Pandit Roop Chand Joshi wrote his work. The anonymous person by some is considered to be mystic Guru of the author mentioned in his memoirs, who he often described as Divine Being. He himself used to sit in morning at his baithak and predict and provide remedies to people who visited him on basis of Lal Kitab authored by him.
By profession, he worked as an Accounts officer in Defense department of British India and retired in 1954. After partition of India, he shifted to Punjab in India near Chandigarh, where he died in 1982.
He is survived by son, Pandit Som Dutt Joshi, who is also an authority on science of Lal Kitab and author of book, “Rehnuma-e-Lal Kitab”. He currently lives in Canada.
Books written
The books are written in Urdu language. A copy of first book published in 1939 is preserved in Lahore Museum.
- Lal Kitab Ke Farman (The Edicts of Lal Kitab), 1939, 383 pages
- Lal Kitab Ke Arman (Ilm Samudrik Kee Lal Kitab Ke Armaan), (The “Aspirations” of Lal Kitab), 1940, 280 pages
- Gutka (Ilm Samudrik Kee Lal Kitab) (Third Part), 1941, 428 pages
- Lal Kitab Ke Farman (Lal Kitab – Tarmeem Shuda), 1942, 384 pages
- Ilm-e Samudrik ki buniyad par ki Lalkitab (Lal Kitab), 1952, 1173 pages