Remembering Benuda: A 28-Year Journey with Satrajit Majumdar

Today, as I remember Satrajit Majumdar, fondly called Benuda, my memory goes back a long 28 years to April 1997, when I first met him at Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi. Having just registered Cyber Astro Ltd, he visited BHU in search of a young astrologer who could become his partner in the journey to offer astrological services across the globe through Cyber Astro.

The First Meeting and a Leap of Faith

I remember it well. I was working in the Panchang office of the Jyotish Department at BHU (as Assistant Panchang Editor). My HOD, Prof. R. C. Pandey, called me and introduced me to Benuda, who was a friend of Prof. S. K. Kak of IIT BHU. After exchanging greetings, we discussed astrology at length. He then asked me to come to New Delhi to join Cyber Astro. Initially, I was reluctant to leave BHU and join a private organization, but he laid out a career roadmap and convinced me to join him in realizing his vision for Cyber Astro. Eventually, I landed in Delhi in the first week of May 1997, and our journey together at Cyber Astro began.

From Colleagues to Family

In Delhi, Benuda introduced me to Pradeep Gupta, Chairman of the CyberMedia Group, fondly called PG. The three of us began to plan and work toward the future of Cyber Astro. Over time, my relationship with Benuda became not only professional but deeply personal. He truly became a mentor and guide at every step of my career.

I remember toward the end of 2004, we met at my home for dinner. Suddenly, he called my 3-year-old daughter and told her to call him Nana, not Uncle. Even today, I choke up with emotion thinking of that moment. He always honored that relationship with both my daughters until June 2022, when he was in Delhi.

A Visionary with a Human Touch

On a lighter note, he often said he was my corporate management and English teacher, while I had to teach him the deeper aspects of predictive astrology. Yet he himself had deep knowledge of astrology and could forecast horoscopes with remarkable accuracy—something very few astrologers can do. In our journey at Cyber Astro, we faced many ups and downs, but we always tackled them together. He had a forward-looking vision and unwavering faith in my ability to bring that vision to life.

I vividly recall an incident from 2008. An employee at Cyber Astro made a serious mistake, though unintentionally. As CEO, Benuda initially called him for an explanation and said he would terminate his service. But then he called me and said, “Dr. Pandey, though I am very angry with him, I don’t want to terminate his service; otherwise, his career and family will be in trouble.” I called the employee and, in front of him, requested Benuda to forgive him. Benuda did, making it appear to be at my request—but it was truly his idea. That was his noble side. I witnessed many such incidents during our 28-year association. After 2012, he made me the “bad cop” and played the “good cop,” but it was all part of our plan.

After April 2016, he began stepping back from active management. He remained a guiding force for me, but in March 2020, the onset of COVID-19 confined him to his home, which was for the best due to his age. Since we lived in the same locality, I visited him occasionally to update him on Cyber Astro’s progress.

In June 2022, he called and said, “Dr. Pandey, I want to see all of you tomorrow for lunch at my residence.” I agreed, and the next day, my wife Sapna, our two daughters, and I visited him for lunch. Afterward, he shared his plan to relocate to Pondicherry and asked for my opinion. Considering all factors, I agreed with his children, Alok and Mismi.

Benuda had a vast collection of novels and books—on world politics, philosophy, religion, and of course, astrology. He gifted me some of those books and encouraged my daughters to take whichever ones they liked. The rest were donated to a library. That lunch was my last face-to-face interaction with Benuda. The next day, he shifted to Pondicherry to live with Mismi and her two sons, who called him Nana.

In 2022 and 2023, he would still take phone calls, but later he began refusing to talk to anyone. I occasionally got updates from Mismi and Alok. Finally, on 17th May 2025, Alok informed me of the sad demise of Benuda. He also told me about Benuda’s wish to donate his body for medical research. True to his giving nature, even his final act was one of generosity.

Also Read:

In Memoriam: Remembering Satrajit Majumdar, Founder of Cyber Astro