Exploring the Evolution of Calendars

The true length of an year on Earth is 365.2425 days.

Julian calendar:

Julian Calendar was a dating system established by Julius Caesar, who was a Roman politician and general played a critical role in the events that led to the demise of the Roman Republic and the rise of the Roman Empire.

Julian Calendar took effect on 1 January 45 BC. The Caesar’s astronomers kept the length of the year as 365.25 days in mind (whereas it is actually 11 minutes less) and developed the Julian Calendar with 12 months. A non-leap year had 365 days divided with 12 months and a leap year (i.e. every fourth year) had 366 days divided with 12 months, in addition February had 29 days.

Since the tropical year (365.2425 days) was slightly shorter than 365.25 days, the Julian calendar became a confusion. As a result, the calendar year gains about three days for every four centuries compared to observed equinox times and the seasons.

Discrepancy calculation:

365.25   (Julian Calendar days) * 128 years = 46752 days

365.2425 (Original days) * 128 years = 46751.04 days

As per this calculation, the Julian calendar gains 1 day for every 128 years.

This discrepancy was corrected by the Gregorian reform in 1582.

Gregorian calendar:

The Gregorian Calendar was first introduced by Pope Gregory XIII – which is how the calendar got its name.

The Gregorian Calendar almost reduced this discrepancy by omitting all the repeated leap years in Julian calendar. Leap years don’t really occur every four years in the Gregorian calendar. According to this calendar, the leap year occur in years which are multiples of four (with the exception of years divisible by 100 but not by 400). Say, for example

If a year is divisible by 4, but not by 100, like 2012, it is a leap year.

If a year is divisible by 100, but not by 400, like 1900, it is not a leap year.

The current discrepancy between the Julian and Gregorian calendars is 13 days. However, the difference will become 14 days in 2100.

Despite Gregorian method for syncing the calendar with the seasons, this system is still off by 26 seconds. By the year 4909, the Gregorian calendar will be a full day ahead of the solar year.

All the countries in the world are currently adopted with Gregorian calendar. Greece is the last country that adopted the Gregorian calendar from Julian Calendar in the year 1923.

In September 1752, Great Britain switched from Julian Calendar to Gregorian Calendar. In order to achieve the change, 11 days were ‘omitted’ from the calendar – i.e. the day after 2 September 1752 was 14 September 1752. It is believed that India switched to Gregorian Calendar on the same day of Great Britain, since it was a colony of British.

A Midnight Mission at Chennai Central

Dhanbad to Alleppey Express had reached Chennai Central railway station at 2 in the morning. The train was late by 25 minutes, and as per the plan, I was standing with my helmet near the train’s engine. The railway station was busy with announcements of arrival and departure of trains, and the passengers appeared tired.

The previous day, one of my roommates in the paying guest (PG) accommodation asked to borrow my bike to pick up his younger brother from Chennai Central railway station. Without hesitation, I agreed to lend him my bike. Later, I learned that my roommate, who is from Jharkhand, is new to Chennai and doesn’t even know the exact route from the PG to Chennai Central railway station. He informed me that his brother would reach Chennai Railway station by midnight.

After giving it some thought, I decided to pick up his brother myself. Although he would use Google Maps to find the route, I was concerned about the Chennai police as he couldn’t communicate well without knowing the local language. He mentioned that his brother’s name is Akash and that he would be arriving from Ranchi in Jharkhand state via the Dhanbad-Alleppey Express. He asked me to stand near the train’s engine with the helmet so that his brother could easily spot me in the crowded railway station. I agreed, and he didn’t share his brother’s mobile number as his brother doesn’t speak English.

I asked my roommate to wake me up at 12:30 AM, and I slept for one and a half hours. Sharp at 12:30, my roommate woke me up, and I started my bike after 10 minutes. Within 35 minutes, I reached Chennai Central railway station and had tea from a vendor at the station. I heard an announcement that the Dhanbad Express was approaching Chennai, running half an hour late.

After half an hour, I called my roommate to inform him that the train had arrived and asked his brother to come near the train’s engine. He mentioned that his brother would be wearing a yellow t-shirt and requested me to ensure his safe return to the PG. I ended the call and waited for 10 minutes. Several guys wearing yellow t-shirts passed by, but none of them approached me. I called my roommate again.

I told him that the train would be departing from Chennai railway station to Allepey in another 15 minutes and urged him to come quickly. He called me back after 5 minutes and said that his brother’s mobile was not reachable, and his voice sounded low. I wanted to scold him, but I realized it was not the right time to react. “Don’t panic,” I said and asked for his brother’s compartment and seat number. He replied, “S5 45 – Side Upper Berth.”

Train Number 13351, Dhanbad-Alleppey Express, in platform number 5, will be leaving in another 10 minutes.

Upon hearing the announcement, I ran towards the S5 compartment and found berth number 45. Due to the compartment being dark and smelly (as it was the third day since the train had started its journey from Dhanbad), I couldn’t see all the passengers clearly. There was a person sleeping on the side upper berth, but I couldn’t see their face. I raised my hand to wake them up by tapping their butt. However, I was shocked when I heard a loud female voice from behind in Hindi, ‘Kaun hai?’ (Who are you?). I didn’t understand what she had asked, and before she could ask any more questions, I quickly asked, ‘Is this Akash?’ By the time the person woke up angrily and adjusted their T-shirt, I was shocked to see that it was a girl. She appeared to be a Malayali. I immediately apologized and left the compartment within seconds.

I called my roommate again. He was even more panicked when I informed him that his brother was missing from the compartment. I assured him, “Don’t worry, bro! I will check with the railway police here.” After thinking for a moment, he realized that the train had two S5 compartments, one from TATA Nagar and another from Dhanbad.

The train had six additional dedicated sleeper compartments coming from TATA Nagar in Jharkhand, attached at the end of the train. I quickly ran towards the TATA Nagar compartment S5 and found Akash sleeping soundly, oblivious to the world. I moved his large trolley out of the train and tried to wake him up. After a few seconds, he woke up and realized he was on the train. “Akash, this is xxxxx. Your brother asked me to pick you up. Please come with me,” I introduced myself. However, he didn’t understand English and hesitated to come along with me. I called his brother and explained that he was not ready to come with me, and I handed my mobile phone to his brother. They spoke in Hindi for a few minutes, and then Akash burst into laughter, which made me feel like giving him a big slap on his face. Younger brothers can be irresponsible when it comes to things involving their elder brothers.

I bought a tea for him, and then he began speaking a lengthy dialogue in Hindi that I couldn’t understand. However, his gestures seemed to convey gratitude. “That’s okay, bro!” I said and safely brought him to the PG.

Do not wait until you have lost them to realize what they mean to you

20 years ago…

It was the southwest monsoon season. Weather forecasters on TV announced that they were expecting high rainfall with thunderstorms in the afternoon.

We were in the school classroom, and our teacher was teaching Geography. The classroom was dark due to the rain clouds, and the students were quieter than usual. Suddenly, we received a circular stating that the school would be closing early due to the expected heavy rainfall. All students were instructed to leave the class by 12:15 PM, and the school van would depart from the main gate at 12:30 PM.

The students broke their silence and prepared to leave. My brother and I boarded our regular van, and as usual, he took a window seat. Within 5 minutes of the van starting from the school, the rain started pouring heavily.

I knew that my mom would not be waiting at our stop to pick us up since she was unaware of our early dismissal. We got off at our stop and within seconds, we were completely drenched by the rain.

Suddenly, we saw our grandmother running towards us with an umbrella. She took our bags from our shoulders and carried my brother. I held her hand, and we reached grandmother’s house, completely drenched.

I asked my grandmother to take us to our home. Our grandmother’s house was three houses away from ours. She informed us that my mom was not at home; she had gone to attend a function and would return in the evening. We believed her and started playing with our grandfather’s dog.

Grandmother gave us two towels and had us bathe in fresh water because she believed that the first rain of the season always brings fever. She also washed our school uniforms, which were soaked from the rain.

After bathing, she served us hot rice with fish curry and papad, which she had already prepared. She knew that we loved fish, and we ate as much as possible. After lunch, we spent time watching the rain, talking with our grandmother, and playing hide and seek. At 3:30 PM, she made tea for us and provided snacks as well.

Time passed by. At 4:00 PM (our usual time to come home after school), it was drizzling outside. My grandmother said, “Let’s go to your house.” She took our bags, our wet clothes, and my brother in one hand. We reached our home and were surprised to find my mom there. My grandmother then explained everything to my mom.

It turned out that our grandmother had lied to us about my mom not being at home, just to spend time with us. Otherwise, we would have insisted on going straight to our own home. Grandmothers may only hold our tiny hands for a short while, but they leave a lasting imprint on our hearts. She created a memory that my heart will hold forever.

Bad at crossing the road

Four-lane busy road!!

No pedestrian subway or overpass to cross!!

Buses, cars, bikes, and lorries are running at high speeds!!

No traffic signal for 300 meters!!

Bad at crossing the road!!

🛣️

Some people crossed the road without paying attention to the vehicles passing by.!!

Most people took advantage of a short gap between vehicles to cross the road.!!

Only a few waited for a significant gap to cross.!!

He is one of the latter, bad at crossing the road.!!

🛣️

Most drivers yelled at the pedestrians crossing the road hastily.!!

Only a few drivers slowed down, but none of them stopped their vehicles for people crossing the road.!!

He is waiting for someone to block the road. Bad at crossing the road.!!

🛣️

From out of nowhere, a little kid runs towards him and grabs his hand!!

The child also wants to cross the road!!

He feels the nervousness through the cute little hand gripping his own!!

Now, the priority shifts!!

He firmly holds the kid’s hand, stops a few fast-moving vehicles, and safely crosses the road!!

This is how responsibility works when you start earning.

Chennai House Hunt 2

Grabbing a few mobile numbers of house brokers from 99acres.com, an online platform for buying, selling, and renting houses, I made some calls. The first two brokers didn’t answer, but the third one picked up and inquired about my rental expectations. I explained that I was looking for a 2BHK house with ample parking space and a monthly rent ranging from 12 to 15 thousand. He promised to check with other brokers and call me back.

After a brief wait, the broker contacted me and informed me that a vacant 2BHK house meeting my requirements was available for rent. Eager to find a place after a tiring search, I agreed to proceed. During my lunch break at the office, I hopped on my bike and headed to the broker’s location.

We reached the house after navigating two clean and tidy streets. As we rang the doorbell from outside the gate, two small Golden Retriever dogs emerged and started barking. To calm them down, the house owner softly blew a whistle, and they quieted down, sitting near the gate. Being a dog lover, this first encounter with the dogs left a positive impression on me. The owner of the house, a woman in her 40s, opened the gate and welcomed us inside.

The dogs followed us, and I gently patted one of their heads. Taking in the surroundings, I noticed a well-maintained parking facility on the right side of the house, along with a charming tiny garden with a large mango tree. The tree’s shade covered the entire garden, creating a delightful space for leisurely moments.

The house owner explained that both the ground floor and the first floor had identical layouts, with the first floor available for rent. She kindly allowed us to explore the first floor, opening all the doors for inspection. The house comprised a small porch at the front, offering a view of the garden and the mango tree. I envisioned placing a cozy two-seater sofa there.

Inside, a spacious hall, two well-proportioned bedrooms with attached bathrooms, and a comfortable modular kitchen awaited. At the back of the house, there was a small balcony. Meanwhile, the house broker continued his unsolicited commentary on each room, attempting me to choose this house. Despite his remarks, I remained focused on my own assessment. The overall impression of the house remained positive.

Returning to the hall, where the house owner awaited my feedback, I expressed my liking for the house and initiated a discussion about the advance deposit and monthly rent. She inquired about my occupation, office location, hometown, dietary preferences, and the number of tenants. She mentioned that the previous tenant had paid 15 thousand per month, which seemed like a reasonable deal given the bustling IT hub of Chennai. After a brief negotiation, we settled on an advance deposit of 50 thousand and a monthly rental amount of 14 thousand, which seemed favorable to me.

Before finalizing the deal, I took photos of each room and requested the need for the house to be painted before my move-in date at the beginning of the following month. The owner assured me that the necessary arrangements would be made within a few days. She then requested a token advance payment of 10 thousand rupees to remove the “To Let” board from the gate and ensure no one else would inquire about the house. The house broker also urged me to provide the token advance immediately.

I explained that I didn’t have 10 thousand rupees in cash at that moment, but I assured them that I would make the payment the next day. The owner suggested using Google Pay and shared her mobile number,

I promptly saved her mobile number as “House Owner” and opened my Google Pay app. Within a minute, I transferred the token advance of ten thousand rupees to her and asked her to confirm the transaction in her bank account.

As she received a text message from her bank, she decided to double-check and opened the Google Pay app on her mobile phone. To my surprise, her reaction suddenly changed. Without hesitation, she asked, “Are you a Muslim?” Confused by her question, I responded, “Why do you ask?” She showed me her mobile phone, pointing out that my name, “*****,” appeared to be a Muslim name. She also remarked that my beard made me resemble a Muslim man. Taken aback, I thought to myself, “Why should I explain my appearance to her?” However, not wanting to lose the opportunity, I replied, “I’m not a Muslim. I’m Hindu. Does that have a problem?”

She insisted, “Please don’t hide any details; I have only one daughter.” Feeling frustrated, I simply wanted to leave the house. Fortunately, the house broker intervened, assuring her that there was nothing to worry about. I took this opportunity to exit the house and head back to the road, determined to get my money back.

After a few minutes, the house broker joined me outside and assured me that everything was fine, despite the owner’s concerns. He understood the situation and agreed to wait for me to provide the full advance amount once I had transferred it to the owner. With this understanding, I left the premises.

Around ten minutes later, as I reached my office, I received a call from the house owner. She informed me that the house would not be ready at the beginning of the month and asked if I could wait for an additional week. Frustrated by the sudden change in plans, I responded, “No, please transfer my money back to me,” and promptly ended the call. To my relief, within five minutes, I noticed that the money had been credited back to my bank account.