MP CM Aims to Establish Ujjain as Global Prime Meridian, Challenging Greenwich

Bhopal: Chief minister Mohan Yadav has vowed to establish Ujjain in Madhya Pradesh as the Prime Meridian, the line of longitude that is used as the global reference for time, in place of Greenwich in England, with research-based studies.

“My government will promote research works to establish scientifically that Ujjain, not Greenwich, is global Prime Meridian as per the ancient Hindu astronomical belief, to correct the time of the world”, Mr Yadav who hails from holy city of Ujjain once known as the hub of traditional knowledge of ancient India, told the state Assembly here late on Thursday night.

Replying to the motion of thanks on the governor's address, the new chief minister of MP Mr Yadav said that as per the ancient Hindu astronomical belief, Ujjain is the precise point of intersection of the zero Meridian with the Tropic of Cancer.

Besides, the city is home to India’s oldest observatory, established by Sawai Jai Singh II of Jaipur in the early 18th century.

According to him, earlier it was Ujjain’s time that was known as world time. But, Paris reviewed the world time which was later adopted by the British who set Greenwich as Prime Meridian.

“My government will take the initiative to start research works involving researchers from Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) and Indian Institute of Management (IIM) to prove scientifically the ancient Hindu astronomical belief that Ujjain is the global Prime Meridian”, he added.

Mr Yadav said that he will approach the Prime Minister Narendra Modi to push Ujjain as Prime Meridian at the international level after it is established scientifically.

The chief minister was referring to the beliefs in a section of astronomers in ancient India that Ujjain, being India’s Central meridian, determines the time zones of India.

Significantly, it has been accepted in the 1884 convention on meridians that the longitude passing through Greenwich is the zero Meridian or the Prime Meridian.

Indian Standard Time (IST) is 5.30 hours ahead of Greenwich Mean Time.

He said that the world has two categories of living beings, one is awake during day time and the other is awake at night.

“I wonder why the day should be changed at midnight”, he said.

He was also of the firm view that the Hindu calendar, Vikram Samvat, should get importance over Gregorian calendar, accepted globally for five centuries, in India, as recognition of our ancient knowledge.