The source of Nadi leaves can be traced back to over 2000 years. However, history indicates the following developments.
As per legends, it is believed that in the DWAPARA YUG, there were SEVEN MAHARISHIS or SEVEN SAGES known as SAPTARISHIS, namely KAUSHIKA, VYASA, BHOGAR, SHRI AGASTHYA, VASISTHA, BHRIGU and VALMIKI. Learned as they were, they had very high regard and compassion for mankind and therefore, they sourced their mystic powers that helped foresee the future of mankind (every living person as well as the dead ones), the present and the past. They recorded these visions onto palm leaves and these recordings came to be known as NADI PREDICTIONS or NADI SHASHTRA. To these RISHIS it was clear – that man’s suffering is because of his past actions and these predictions sought out remedies for man so that they could lead a better life.
Nadi leaves were preserved by the Chola Dynasty in South India between 10th to 13th Century AD. The king of Tanjore - Serfoji II - was a true patron of art and had safely kept these leaves in the palace library called 'Saraswathy Mahal'.
Originally in Sanskrit, he had the palm leaves translated into the ancient Tamil script called 'Vatta ezhuthu'.
Many of the Nadi leaves were lost during the rule of Mughals and the British. Since the esoteric value of the leaves was not known at that time, they were not preserved.
A few families who knew about the sacred inscriptions acquired these leaves from the British. One of these families, the Valluvar community - has carefully retained them.
Today, the nerve center for Nadi Palm Leaf Astrology is the famous Vaitheeswaran Temple located near Chidambaram in Tamil Nadu, South India.
There is also another set of astrologers claiming that the content written in the palm leaf is conversation between shiva and parvathi. This is called "SHIVA NADI JYOTISIYAM"
