Curiosity

Calendars have been used by humans since time immemorial to keep a track of time in a cyclic manner, known as a year.

This has helped our ancestors to know when to plant a crop, best time to hunt and organise various other social activities. These have been further marked by observing several traditions and celebrating various festivals.

All calendars of the world work on observations based on periodical, astronomical cycles. Where a year is based on Earth's orbit around the sun, the months are based on the moon's orbit around the Earth and the day is calculated by the time Earth takes to complete one rotation on its axis.

India has around 30 calendars or Panchangs being followed in different states and provinces. These differences are based on the era of beginning, initial date of the year and the methods of calculations.

At the time of Independence as an integration of national life was called for, one of the important domains was the calendar. On the suggestions of a Calendar Reform Committee set up, India incorporated a lunisolar calendar viz Rashtriya Panchang or National Calendar since March 22, 1957, which could be adopted uniformly throughout India.

The Indian national calendar is the official civil and religious calendar in use in India. It is based on the Saka Era, with Chaitra as its first month and a normal year of 365 days. In the Saka Era, year 0 starts in 78 CE. If we add 78 to current Gregorian Calendar, we will arrive at: 2020 + 78 = 2098 Saka Year.

According to in India New Year falls on the first day of the month of Chaitra. It is celebrated as various festivals in various parts of the country. First day of Chaitra Navratri, Ugadi, Gudi Padwa , Cheiraoba, Navreh and Cheti Chand to name a few.

Putta putti jumped out of bed. It was Muttaji's birthday and they had to catch a train.

Muttaji, was the twin's mother's mother's mother who lived in Mysore with Ajji and Ajja. Ajji was the twins mother's mother. No one actually knew when Muttaji's birthday was; Ajji had always celebrated it on Makar Sankranti.

"How oid is Muttaji amma?" asked Putti. Amma smiled, "You ask her when you get there."

The moment they reached the old green house in Mysore, the twins burst into Muttaji's room. "Happy Birthday Muttaji. How old are you today?"

Muttaji hugged the twins. "How old am I? How does it matter?"

"It does!" cried Putta and Putti.

Muttajji smiled. "Well," she said, "I know that around five years before I was born, our Maharaja went to a grand party for Indian Maharajas and Maharanis in Delhi, when a British king and queen had come to visit India."

"Who was this king, Muttajji? If you know, we can find out which year he visited. if we add five years to that, we will know when YOU were born!" said Putti.

"I've forgotten, Putti. Wait!" said Muttajji. "Let me see if I can remember something else"

"I must have been 16," continued Muttajji, "our Maharaja inaugurated our big dam, and the beautiful gardens next to it, during the Dasara festival that year."

"Is it the KRS, Amma?", The twins ran to the library and found a book on the history of Mysore. "Here it is!" Putti whispered.
"The KRS Dam and the adjacent Brindavan Gardens, were opened to the public in1932."

The twins grinned - that means Muttajji got married in 1932, 84 years ago!

"And Muttajji says she was about 16 then," said Putta. "If she is right, the Muttajji was born in 1916."
Putta said, "Now we have to find out if that big party for kings and queens in Delhi, which Muttajji said happened five years before she was born, happened in 1911."
They ran to Ajja their granddad in the reading room. "Ajja, was there a grand party for a British king who visited India around 1911?"
Ajja frowned. "1911? Aaan yes. It was the year the Gateway of India was built in Bombay to welcome the British Emperor, George V! There were several grand parties, not one."
"Not bad at all!" cried the twins. "Thanks, Ajja!" They knew exactly how old Muttajji was!
Five minutes later, the twins were racing towards Muttaji's room.
"Muttajji! you were born in 1916! You are exactly 100 years old today!"

By: Roopa Pai, Kaveri Gopalakrishnan.