Lachhman Das Madan, chief of the Astrology Study and Research Institute in the capital New Delhi, said the Mars encounter was "a dark planetary configuration" and would unleash "negative energy."

"I have been telling anyone who cares to listen that according to my calculations the earth will face serious and violent convulsions from July 29 onwards," he said.

"Earth and Mars are drawing together for their closest approach in some 60,000 years on August 27, 2003. Apart from that, the entire planetary configurations are hostile to the world.

"As we can see India is already being sorely tested. There have been scores of deaths and more violence is to come."

The gloom and doom prediction came as a massive stampede in the Indian holy town of Nashik on Wednesday left at least 39 people, mostly women and children, dead and more than 100 injured.

It was the second tragedy in India this week. On Monday, 52 people were killed in twin car bombings near a landmark monument and outside a Hindu temple in India's financial capital Bombay.

Another astrologer R.L. Kanthan told The Times of India newspaper on Tuesday that the spell of misfortune would not ease until September 20 with the movement of Mars, the planet that "portends violence, wars, bloodshed and combat".

On Wednesday at 0951 GMT, the Red Planet will be 55.76 million kilometres (34.65 million miles) from Earth, its closest since Neanderthals walked the planet.

Tens of thousands of astronomers across the world are hoping to get a close-up look at the fourth planet from the Sun.

SPACE.WIRE