MUMBAI: Indian television viewers definitely have a penchant for fortune telling sessions! Billed as the complete show on astrology, etc's Kahani Kismat Ki is completing a marathon run of 1,000 episodes on 10 December 2002.

Kahani Kismat Ki has earned the distinction of being 'the most watched' and 'the longest running astrological show' on any satellite channel, an official release says.

Yielding to the viewers' demand, Kahani Kismat Ki had to be changed its duration from a 15-minute show to a half an hour show within three months of its launch. After almost three years of continuous telecast, the show is still the top-ranking programme amongst all the music channels, the release says.

Quoting TAM data, etc says that Kahani Kismat Ki delivered TVR of 0.4 during the week 10 beginning 11 November, compared to 0.34 for MTV's Non Stop Hits', 0.23 for Channel [V]'s Back 2 Back and 0.14 for B4U's Full Volume.

In an effort to make the programme more interactive, etc also incorporated SMS facility in this show. Viewers can type the code 'ETCKISMET' in the message box of a mobile phone; write their answers to the question asked during the show and send it to number '303'. This enables them to participate in the show and win prizes.

The channel attributes the popularity of Kahani Kismat Ki to the fact that it is not based on any particular religion. Show presenter Arya Guru Bhagwan Das talks about the importance of spirituality and many festivals of several religions. According to him, astrology is a science and should be treated with the same respect.