🌞 A Timeless Alternative to Daylight Saving: Surya Siddhantha and the Ujjain Prime Meridian - by Yogesh Tiwari

🌞 A Timeless Alternative to Daylight Saving: Surya Siddhantha and the Ujjain Prime Meridian

Introduction

As the world questions the effectiveness and health impacts of Daylight Saving Time (DST), ancient Indian astronomy offers a fascinating, logical alternative rooted in celestial observation: Surya Siddhantha.

Developed thousands of years ago, the Surya Siddhantha is a Sanskrit astronomical treatise that laid the foundation for timekeeping in India. It accurately describes solar movements, earth’s tilt, and the role of the sunrise at Lanka (roughly corresponding to Ujjain’s longitude) as a reference for time measurement.

Today, we explore how this system—placing Ujjain (India) as the Prime Meridian (0° longitude)—offers a geographically fair, astronomically grounded alternative to artificial adjustments like DST.

🧭 Why Ujjain as the Prime Meridian?

Geographic and Astronomical Justification

• Ujjain (Longitude ~75.8° E) lies close to the ancient city of Lanka (as per Surya Siddhantha), considered the “central point” of Earth’s time measurement.
• Surya Siddhantha defines solar time based on sunrise at Lanka, suggesting that local noon occurs when the sun is at the zenith.
• Placing Ujjain at 0° longitude naturally aligns the global time system with the actual solar rhythm.

Historical Context

• Ancient Indian astronomers, including Aryabhata and Varahamihira, considered Ujjain the zero meridian.
• The city hosted world-renowned observatories and was referenced in global time calculations before Greenwich became the default in 1884.

⏳ The Flaws of Daylight Saving Time

Problem	Impact
Artificial Time Shifts	Biological disruptions, sleep issues
Inefficient Energy Use	Recent studies show minimal savings
Complex Adjustments	Confusion in global coordination
Inconsistent Application	Not used or misaligned in many regions

DST was invented to make better use of daylight hours. But in tropical countries like India—and increasingly worldwide—its utility is questionable.

🕰️ Time Zones via Surya Siddhantha Logic

Method: Solar Time Based on Longitude

In Surya Siddhantha’s system:

• Earth rotates 360° in 24 hours, so 15° = 1 hour.
• If Ujjain is 0°, every 15° east or west adds/subtracts an hour of solar time.

This approach:

✅ Keeps time aligned with sunrise and sunset

✅ Removes the need for shifting clocks twice a year

✅ Honors local solar rhythms

🌐 Case Study: Dividing the World into Time Zones from Ujjain

If Ujjain is 0°, we can divide the globe as follows:

Zone No.	Longitude Range	Time Offset
Zone 0	0° (Ujjain)	UTC±0
Zone +1	15°E to 30°E	+1 hr
Zone +5	60°E to 75°E (Delhi)	+5 hr
Zone -5	75°W to 90°W (New York)	-5 hr
Zone +9	120°E to 135°E (Tokyo)	+9 hr

This system automatically adjusts for solar time. No DST is needed.

🔁 Comparison with Modern Timekeeping

Feature	Surya Siddhantha (Ujjain Prime)	Modern System (Greenwich Prime)
Meridian Location	Ujjain (India)	Greenwich (UK)
Based on Solar Movement	Yes	Partially
DST Required?	No	Yes (in many regions)
Astronomical Accuracy	High	Moderate
Cultural Relevance (India)	Strong	Weak

🧭 Philosophical & Ecological Relevance

• Surya Siddhantha promotes living with nature, not controlling it artificially.
• Encourages regionally accurate timekeeping without harming sleep cycles or requiring annual clock shifts.

📍Conclusion

As climate, technology, and global consciousness evolve, it’s time to rethink outdated timekeeping systems. Surya Siddhantha offers a scientific, natural, and historically rooted solution. By using Ujjain as the prime meridian, we return to a solar, sustainable, and sensible way of tracking time—no DST needed.