Not past its sell by date

Forget Nostradamus. When it comes to prophesying, they say, few hold a candle to Old Moore's Almanac. The 'they' being the Irish. Old Moore's loyalists swear the 251-year-old astrological handbook got it right on everything from 9/11 to the 2014 Irish heatwave. One of its forecasts for 2015? That the Brad Pitt-Angelina Jolie marriage is on shaky ground.

India's Kalnirnay is no crystal ball gazer. But this calendar-almanac, founded in 1973 by Jayantrao Salgaokar, is so pivotal in Indian households that many line up to buy the following year's edition in early December itself. Well, it used to be that way. My grandmother fretted at the thought of kirana stores or newspaper vendors running out of the calendar just before New Year. "There's always a rush for it," she'd say, thrusting Rs10 in my hand so I could get her the prized possession.

Kalnirnay is more than panchangs, shubh divas (auspicious days) moon phases, crop patterns or holy days of minorities like the Jews. It has recipes, health and beauty tips and articles penned by doctors, academicians and professors. Grandma would set aside 'scrapbooks' for recipes and beauty tips collected from Kalnirnay's five editions (it's now published in nine languages). Her go-to: Mangala Barve, author of iconic Marathi cookbook Annapurna, who curated Kalnirnay recipes in the '70s-'80s.

Jayraj Salgaokar, who took over after Jayantrao passed away in 2013, says Kalnirnay carries only vegetarian recipes not just because his father wanted it that way, but also because many families place the calendar next to a mandir. But what's coming is a hoot: "Our most dedicated audiences are butchers. Because they manage inventories as per Shravan Mas or auspicious days. Every mutton shop in Maharashtra will have a Kalnirnay," Salgaokar grins.

The 'calmanac', which has a circulation of over 1.5 crore, had a website as far back as 1996. The official app contributes to around five per cent to Sumangal Press' – the parent company's – revenues. But this number is stagnant as app piracy and lack of advertisers for the digital model pose challenges. Even so, Kalnirnay does great business. When it was aped, Kalnirnay responded by not only providing more information, but also by branching out into Kalnirnay Classic and Kalnirnay Office (a staple in government buildings and even the Bombay High Court). Both have bigger boxes with less information, so that people can make notes. "We move with the times and also have Mini Kalnirnay, Micro Kalnirnay, pocket panchang, monthly planners. We just don't have a bathroom version," laughs Salgaokar.

Digital calendars and planners make life a breeze for millions. But their paper counterparts score in one aspect: reminders and notes on calendars are points of reference for Indian families. Salgaokar wraps it up when he says: "At a Marathi play rehearsal in Dubai, someone said 'we have to lend a typical Marathi feel to this house.' To which someone just hung a Kalnirnay on stage. That was it."

One can't do that with Evernote or Google Calendar.