“We are not numbers for a dark moon,” Dhekial said. “If you count us tonight, our ancestors will be confused. They will think we are leaving for the next world. Come back on the Pratipada —the day after tomorrow. That is the first bright day. That is a day for beginnings.”
Running parallel to the Gregorian dates was the Assamese calendar, deeply rooted in the Hindu lunisolar system. While the English calendar is purely solar, the Assamese calendar tracks the movement of both the sun and the moon. assamese and english calendar 1972
To understand the calendar, one must first understand the year itself. 1972 was a pivotal year for Assam and India. “We are not numbers for a dark moon,” Dhekial said
Hemlata’s son, ten-year-old Bitu, was confused by the two. “Ma,” he asked one monsoon afternoon, pointing at the glossy calendar. “It says July 4th here. But the Panjika says it’s the day of Dour Uruka , the moon’s second quarter. Which is the real date?” Come back on the Pratipada —the day after tomorrow
If you are lucky enough to hold an original "Assamese and English Calendar 1972," you will notice distinct artistic features:
Perhaps the most significant administrative event recorded in the 1972 calendar was the creation of the state of Meghalaya. On January 21, 1972, Meghalaya was carved out of Assam as a full-fledged state under the North-Eastern Areas (Reorganisation) Act, 1971
: On January 21, 1972 , Meghalaya was carved out of the state of Assam to become a full-fledged state.