‘Prime Meridian runs through Ujjain’: MP CM Mohan Yadav makes bold claims on global time-setting

In a statement during a session in the state assembly, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav sparked controversy by asserting India's historical influence on the establishment of global time standards.

Yadav confidently declared that India, approximately 300 years ago, had set the world's standard time, emphasising that an instrument to determine time still exists in Ujjain, a city in the state. He further announced his government's intent to relocate the Prime Meridian, currently situated in Greenwich, England, to Ujjain, challenging the existing global reference for time.

The Chief Minister, vocal against what he deemed 'westernisation', criticised the adoption of time setting by Paris and subsequently by the British, who anchored the Prime Meridian at Greenwich. Yadav contended, "India's standard time was globally acknowledged centuries ago. The notion of beginning a new day at midnight is flawed; people start their day at sunrise or shortly after."

Asserting his government's commitment to substantiating Ujjain as the global Prime Meridian, Yadav expressed his determination to rectify the world's timekeeping practices. The historical significance of Ujjain in ancient Hindu astronomical beliefs as India's central meridian, dictating the country's time zones and temporal variances, was highlighted during his address. Additionally, Yadav referenced Ujjain's pivotal role in shaping time in the Hindu calendar.

Beyond the focus on time standards, Yadav outlined plans for the cultural revival of religious sites in Madhya Pradesh. He unveiled a comprehensive roadmap encompassing locations from Mahakal Lok in Ujjain to Orchha, Salkanpur, and Maihar. Orchha, renowned for the revered Shri Ram Raja temple where Lord Ram is worshipped as both a deity and a king, was among the sites highlighted. Salkanpur and Maihar, associated with goddesses Vindhyavasini and Sharda Devi respectively, were also featured in the proposed plan.