MP’s Ujjain To Become Global ‘Time Capital’, Says CM Yadav

Bhopal: Madhya Pradesh chief minister Mohan Yadav on Friday announced that his government would support scientific studies to establish Ujjain in the state, as the global ‘Time Capital’, in place of Greenwich in England, currently recognized as the prime meridian (zero-degree longitude).

Addressing the three-day international conference, “Mahakal: The Master of Time”, in Ujjain, the chief minister said that in the ancient astronomy, as mentioned in the texts like the ‘Surya Siddhanta’, Ujjain, then known as Avanti, was considered the prime meridian and the reference point for calculating planetary positions and time.

For centuries, Indian astronomers used Ujjain as the central meridian before the modern meridian was fixed at Greenwich in 1884, he said.

“Scholars tell us that in ancient times, the point where the sun’s shadow can be distinctly observed was in Ujjain. Today, the alignment has shifted about 32 km to Dongla village. This entire cycle spans nearly 27,500 years. The dynamics of this movement are truly extraordinary”, he said.

Dongla village where the Tropic of Cancer passes is situated 32 km from Ujjain city.

Hence, Dongla has now become the ideal spot to observe the phenomena like ‘Zero Shadow Day’ on June 21, when the sun is directly overhead and objects cast no shadow.

He said that his government would spare no efforts to revive the astronomical glory of Ujjain by repositioning it as the world’s prime meridian, with the backing of scientific studies.

Mr. Yadav said that Ujjain should reclaim its position as the world’s prime meridian to ‘correct the time of the world’.

Highlighting his government’s efforts to develop Ujjain as the ‘Time Capital’ of the world, he said that a Science City is being developed in Ujjain city with an investment of Rs 15 crore to support the research in the field.

A major initiative has been taken in this direction by installing “Vikramaditya Vedic Clock”- the world’s first Vedic clock- in Ujjain.

The Vedic Clock, inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Ujjain in February 2024, displays time in traditional Indian units (muhurtas, kaalas, etc..) instead of conventional hours and minutes, blending the ancient wisdom with the modern technology.

Such a clock has also been installed in front of the chief minister’s official bungalow in Bhopal.

The clock’s calculations are based on astronomical formulae linked to the Dongla observatory.

The state government has also launched a dedicated mobile app that provides Panchang (Hindu calendar) information in around 200 languages.

Due to Earth’s axial tilt, the Tropic of Cancer has shifted from Ujjain to Dongla village, 32 km away.