A man with a passion for puzzles has produced an alternative calendar for the year 2001 which can be used to find the day on which any date in the year falls. Haja Mohideen's calendar is remarkable in that it shows the entire year in just 17 columns and can be used with just a glance.

The 53 year-old Indian, who works as a secretary at a Dubai engineering company, devised the calendar 15 years ago and has been producing it annually ever since for family, friends and work colleagues. "A friend of mine produced a calendar which used the hands of a clock to point to the days, but I wanted to devise something which was easier to use," he said. Mohideen says it took him just one hour to work out the formula for the calendar and can produce it for any year within 15 minutes, including leap years.

"I don't know if it has been done before, but I haven't seen another calendar like it," he said. To use the calendar, take the month as the vertical axis and the date as the horizontal axis and where they intersect you will find the day on which that particular date falls.

"It is useful if you want to go on holiday on a certain date and you want to know what day it will be. Using the calendar you will be able to tell straight away without having to flick through a conventional calendar to find the right page. "I have never tried to make any money out of it and have not publicised it before, but wanted people to see it since they could find it helpful."