Facts about months

February: ‘Februua’ is a Roman holiday.

March: ‘Mars’ is a planet. This is the ‘God of Youth’ and it is also the spring season, it adds beauty to nature.

April: Comes from the Latin word ‘Asperio’. In this month flowers bloom, hence it is given this name.

May: Called ‘Krithka Star’ in India and in Europe it is called ‘Star of Thoras’. It is the bright star rises with the seen.

June: Is named after the Roman king ‘Juniyas’.

July: Is named after Julius Ceasar.

August: Is named after Augustus Ceaser.

September: It is called the seventh month (Previously the year used to commence from March).

October: It is called eighth month.

November: It is called ninth month.

December: It is called 10th month.

Bharatiya Time

In 1150 AD, Bhaskaracharya wrote in his renowned Siddhanta Shiromani as follows:

1 Dar (Dina) has 60 Galige (24 hours).

1 Galige has 60 Vighalige (24 minutes).

1 Vighaligay has 60 Paragalige (24 seconds).

1 Paragalige has 60 Sookshmagalige (0.4 seconds)

1 Sookshmagalige = 0.0067 seconds

In a year there are 365.25848 days (365 Dina, 15 Galige, 30 Vighalige, 20 Paragalige and 30  Sookshmagalige).

The above is the indication of the precision that characterised our ancient Indian scientists. Now at present we are calculating as follows: 365 days, six hours, 12 minutes and 30 seconds.

Days of the week

In English calendar the days of the week are named after seven heavenly bodies.
Sunday: Sun’s day; in German ‘Sonne’, it is ‘Dies Solis’ in Latin. In Sanskrit, it has many names for example Ravi, Bhaanu, Bhaskara, Surya, Adithya and Anka (The adjective solar is now adopted in English).

Monday: Moon’s day; in German ‘Montag’, in Latin ‘Dies Lunae’, in Sanskrit - Somavana, Shashi, Shashanka (adjective lunar is being used in English).

Tuesday: Derived from the Teutonic ‘God of Law Tiw’. In Latin it was named after the planet Mars. In Sanskrit it is called Mangala Kuja.

Wednesday: Derive from Teutonic ‘Wotan Woden/ Odin’. God of Wisdom is identified with the Roman/ Greek God Mercury. Budha in Sanskrit.

Thursday: Thor is the chief of the Teutonic Pantheon. He corresponds to the Latin/ Greek Jupiter.

Friday: It is described as the Teutonic to Frigg of Freya, Goddess of love but not marriage. The Sanskrit however continues to adopt masculine Shukra of the planet Venus.

But Shukravara is sacred to Godess Lakshmi and she is identified with love and prosperity.

Saturday: It is ascribed to Saturn. Both planet and Greco-Roman God Saturnus., Roman God of Agriculture. In Sanskrit it is devoted to Shani and called Shanivara.
The brief account reflects the history of Indo-European Judic mankind.

(The writer is a noted horologist based in Mysore)