On December 12, 2012, a date that would not recur during the same century, sparked a curious race in various hospitals across India. Some parents wanted their children to be born that day for astrological reasons and went so far as to request scheduled cesareans to make it happen.
In Chandigarh, Sameera Kapur was due to give birth on December 14, but she wanted her baby to be born two days earlier, on 12/12/12. Her mother-in-law even consulted an astrologer to determine the exact time they considered most favorable for the cesarean, according to Hindustan Times.
The fever over the date also reached Mumbai, where LH Hiranandani hospital had nine scheduled cesareans for that day. Some parents had asked for their children to be born exactly at 12:12, although doctors insisted that the safety of the mother and baby had to come first.
The date, however, did not convince all astrologers. Some considered it especially auspicious, while others claimed that 12/12/12 had no exceptional significance. For the families who did believe in its power, however, that combination of numbers represented an opportunity they did not want to miss.