On the face of it Lal Kitab is an important treatise on palmistry and astrology. Ordinarily the palmists talk of mounts and lines Sun, Moon and Mars etc. but it is in Lal Kitab only that we comes across the birth charts of the natives having twelve houses and all the planets (earliest known nine planets) posted there. Rules of prediction are also very much like those enunciated in astrology. Despite all this, the astrology of Lal Kitab is different from astrology we know of, be it eastern, western or of any origin. Lal Kitab is essentiallypalmistry.

The astrological contents that are added to it are to reflect the findings of a palmist or rather to corroborate it. The palm has been divided into 12 parts just as the natural Zodiac is divided into twelve signs like Aries, Taurus etc. Some types of shapes have been allotted to planets. These shapes wherever they exist on palm are supposed to be occupying particular houses of the birth chart. These signs represent the planets they are allotted to.

Thus we have the twelve houses and the nine planets posted in the chart having twelve houses. The astrological chart is ready on the basis of the palm. They are often different from the birth charts prepared on astrological principles. The authenticity of astrological charts is to be corrected by the chart prepared from palm imprints. How charts are made from the palm is not our subject here.

We propose only to discuss and deal with astrological contents of the book. Many believe Lal Kitab to be an ancient book from Persia with unknown authorship. In relevance of modern times, Lal Kitab is a famous publication of five successive volumes published between 1939- 1952. The author of the book who has written it in interesting verses of Urdu and Punjabi is Pt Roopchand Joshi (1898 - 1982).

While it is acknowledged that he wrote the book based on his own study of physiognomy, astronomy and by some divine inspiration. Irrespective of the claims, Pandit Roopchandji is known to be the foremost master of the art, who made his work public through his books. The basis of Lal Kitab lies with Samudrik shastra. A chart is cast by studying the subject`s palm. The palm is divided in twelve zones as per the twelve houses in the horoscope.

The placement of various types of signs, symbolic of each planet is marked out and detailed planetary position is depicted in the chart. The native problem is analyzed by looking at the horoscope. Influences of planets are derived out of their positions in the respective houses. Cause of the trouble is singled out. Then accordingly certain remedies are suggested to encounter malefic effects of the particular planet. The Sutras explained in the book guides every interpretation.

Lal Kitab`s central theme is to diagnose problems by studying the chart of a person and providing simplistic solutions to him. Lal Kitab needs no formal introduction. It is popular amongst neophytes and masters of astrology equally. The enamored of the remedial measures of Lal Kitab and the astrologers who suggest them take pride in them. The measures are too simple to be explained in detail and too typical to be understood by an intelligent human being. Whatever be the facts they are quite effective and cannot be just given up for their simplicity. Rather they bring credit to him who suggests them.