X-ray technician eyes Guinness entry with 3,000-year calendar

How many of us know that the day India became independent - Aug 15, 1947 - was a Friday? Or that then prime minister Indira Gandhi was assassinated on a Wednesday, and that Princess Diana of Britain died on a Sunday?

All you need to figure out the day of the year, no matter what year, is to refer to a 14-page calendar that an X-ray technician here has printed.

Shaji Thomas, 47-year-old X-ray technician, now eyes an entry in the Guinness World Records for his calendar, which in 28 pages captures 3,000 years.

Educated at the Sainik School in the state capital, Thomas was at his alma mater for the reunion day last week. Seeing many of his classmates in senior positions in the defence forces or in civilian jobs, Thomas told them: "Wait and see, I might be an X-ray technician, but I'll soon have an entry in the record books."

"I have taken the copyright for a 3,000-year (AD 1 to AD 3000) calendar. For now, I have printed a 301-year calendar which runs into 14 pages. The 3000-year one is 28 pages," Thomas said.

Meanwhile, Thomas has started documentary procedures for seeking a mention in the Limca Book of Records and the Guinness World Records.

"I have got calls from various business houses seeking to know if I might enter into an agreement with them to market the calendar. I am still undecided, because this has taken me more than eight years of hard work. Now I am waiting for all the required papers to apply for both the Limca and the Guinness records," Thomas said.