friends, what an astronomical coincidence!
the Hindu new year (in Maharashtra/Goa/Karnataka) starts on गुढी पाडवा / Gudhi Padwa, चैत्र शु. १ / Chaitra shukla pratipada, the first day of the waxing moon in the month of Chaitra, according to the Hindu lunisolar calendar; which, this year, at our latitude and longitude, happens to be Thu, Mar 19 in the Gregorian calendar
the spring (in the northern hemisphere) equinox, one of the two days each year the sun rises directly to the east and sets directly to the west, happens to be Fri, Mar 20 this year
and I am told that the biggest Islamic celebration of the year, ईद उल-फ़ित्र / Eid al-Fitr or रमज़ान ईद / Ramzān Eid, the first day of the month of शव्वाल / Shawwal, is expected to fall on either Fri, Mar 20 or Sat, Mar 21, depending on regional interpretations of when the crescent moon is considered “seen”
while the near coincidence of Gudhi Padwa with the spring equinox is not entirely unlikely, as the Hindu calendar does stay roughly in sync with the solar year (but with the sidereal year, whereas the equinox is a tropical phenomenon, so the coincidence will drift by around 20 minutes every year), with the timekeeping innovation of a 13th अधिक मास / adhik maas ‘leap [lunar] month’ once every 3 years or so; and similarly while Ramzan Eid will always be around the first day of the waxing moon in some month or the other of the Hindu calendar; the near coincidence of all three is quite unlikely, because the Islamic lunar calendar drifts in phase with respect to the solar year, with a period of around 33 years!
all this to say that in celebration of a generally important time of year, I will be hosting the next RANIMES on Fri, Mar 20, at my house, Rue des Glaciers 2, from 20:00 onwards. there will be chai as usual and other content divers various and sundry yet unknown. tell me if you’re coming, bringing a friend, want to present, etc., can’t wait to see you!
shrdlu
