Dr. Prasanth Chandran – The ‘calendar boy’ who loves dates and days

A child born with multiple disabilities and disorders, who doctors believed won’t survive for more than 3 months, a boy born in year 1995 is creating wonders with digits, mathematics and calendar. Dr. Prasanth Chandran, born with cerebral palsy has only limited vision and hearing ability only. He was born with two holes in heart, many other neurological disorders, small eyes, big ears, speaking disabilities and underdeveloped brain. Yet the way he fought back and created a name of his own, his story is truly inspiring. The way his brain deals with digits and calendar, earned him a place in both Indian Book of Records and Asia Book of records.

Prasanth Chandran was born with cerebral palsy and multiple disorders

Prasanth’s father Chandran is a businessman, who hails from Thali of Karamana, in the outskirts of Thiruvananthapuram city. He married his cousin Suhita, as per customs. As it’s a blood relation, they took extra care during delivery of both kids. First kid, Priyanka was born normal. But second kid, Prasanth was born in 1995, with many issues, though they took extra care.

Development problems of Prasanth’s eyes started at 3 months, as a foetus. Though doctors told them, the child won’t survive for more than 3 months, the parents didn’t lose hope, and they took extra care. Now aged 23 in 2021, a 6-feet tall man, his brilliance in mathematics can surprise anyone, and made him world famous. Now even universities from many foreign countries come enquiring about him.

Till 18 he studied in a special school. But it didn’t help him much. It’s because of his physical disabilities. Later he spent his years in his home at Karamana, named ‘Prasantham’. He can’t speak more than one or two words, is hearing impaired and has defects in vision too. That’s the reason why, seeing his achievements at the age of 23, anyone can agree, he is a wonder! It was his father who took the initiative to showcase Prashanth’s hidden skills.

He made his own world of digits

He started learning with plastic alphabets and digits given by his parents. With his limited vision, he formed a new world by placing digits in his own unique way. In reality, except him, no one can really understand his world of numbers. After that, he got drawn towards calendar. He brings one month of calendar close to his eyes and scans it. Suppose you tear that calendar and then ask him different questions related to dates and special festivals noted in that monthly page, he can give correct answers. He needs just half an hour to scan an annual calendar fully.  

Later he expressed restlessness, when calendars were over. It was his sister who gave him calendar of last 150 years, downloading from mobile. But to everyone’s surprise, he bi-hearted 150 years of calendar in just 2 days! He instantly gave answers, when asked which day a date appears in calendar of last 150 years. Later he got calendar of 10,000 years, which he bi-hearted. He is still continuing his studies with the help of mobile, bi-hearting more years.

He can tell in a flash of seconds, which day a date appears in calendar

He is so proficient in calendars that he can say, what’s the day a date appears in calendar after 1000 or 2000 years. Not only that, he is proficient even in Malayalam calendar, where celebrations are done based on astrological stars, which keep changing every year, and can predict when Onam comes after 50K years; he can predict exact date! You can ask any question related to calendars, and Prasanth will have a perfect answer, which he gives within a few seconds just like a computer. It includes lakhs of calendar years in future!

One-time read is enough to memorize things

Apart from his deep talent in numbers, he memorizes things which he sees once with eyes. He is talented in computer games, and has high speed in typing using keyboard. He uses both mobile and computer with his limited vision. He writes on white board too. Yet if you place some obstacles in his regular paths inside home, he may stumble and fall. Similarly, he can’t see many things in front of his eyes.

He was given honorary doctorate by World Record University, London in 2017. He earned place in Asia Book of records most recently. He was honoured by central government in 2019, where he received the award from then President of India, Pranab Mukherjee. Many of his disabilities are being treated even now. Yet Prasanth is continuing his journey through his own world of digits.

Prasanth Chandran – Some interesting and less-known facts

1. He can tell temperature of room, by pressing right hand on left wrist.

2. He eats only rice, milk and banana. The secret behind his amazing brain is still unknown, also his talent in memorizing digits.

3. He was only 17 years old when he was given honorary doctorate by World Record University, London.

4. He is learning keyboard since last 4 years, from a teacher belonging to a special school. He uses one hand only, and loves to play old songs most.

5. His father always seeks Prasanth’s advice to fix date for auspicious events or new startups, and his parents believe, it to be lucky.

6. He can recollect the date and days of calendars upto two lakh years.

7. He enjoys jig-saw puzzles as well as collecting refrigerator magnets.

8. He is possessive of his collection. In fact, he memorizes the date and day, when he received those gifts, and from whom.

9. Many times, his predictions have also come true.

10. He achieved the feat of memorizing dates from 01-01-0001 to 01-01-010000, and more than 36,50,000 days, when he reached 19.