Context: The Chief Minister of MP has vowed to relocate the Prime Meridian, the global reference for time, from Greenwich in England to Ujjain.

Ujjain is the Global Prime Meridian: MP CM

• India’s Role: He highlighted that India originally established the world’s standard time around 300 years ago. 
• Ujjain’s Significance: The CM pointed out that the time observatory in Ujjain carries proof that it is the centre point of the world for timekeeping purposes. 
• Westernization: He further claimed that Prime Meridian, established during the International Meridian Conference in 1884, was influenced by the dominance of the British Empire in the 19th century.
  • Challenging the convention, CM questioned the practicality of starting a new day at midnight 
  • He advocated for a shift to a system aligned with natural wake-up times, like sunrise. 
• Calendar: He also criticized the Gregorian calendar, asking to replace it by Hindu calendar, known as Vikram Samvat.
  • Vikram Samvat is the historical Hindu calendar used in the Indian subcontinent. It uses lunar months and solar years and is 57 years ahead of the Gregorian calendar. 

About Prime Meridian: Its Position, Names, and Uses

• It is an imaginary reference line that represents the starting point for measuring longitude across the globe. 
• Position: This longitude runs from the North Pole to the South Pole, passing through Greenwich, England. And has been accepted as the reference point to measure time. 
• International Acceptance: In 1884, the International Meridian Conference held in Washington, D.C., adopted the Greenwich Meridian, passing through the Royal Observatory in Greenwich as the Prime Meridian. 
• Other names: It is also known as the Greenwich Meridian or Longitude Zero (0° longitude). 
• Uses: As a standard for zero-degree longitude, it impacts the Global Positioning, timekeeping and International Date Line.
  • Global Positioning: By providing a universal reference, the Prime Meridian aids in the consistent and precise positioning of places worldwide.  
  • Timekeeping: Time zones worldwide are calculated based on their distance east or west of this meridian. Time zones such as Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) and Indian Standard Time (IST) are based on this. 
  • International Date Line: It is located approximately 180 degrees east or west of the Greenwich Meridian, which marks the end of one day, and the shift into another. 
• Indian Standard Time: It is 5.30 hours ahead of Greenwich Meridian Time (GMT) and is calculated from Mirzapur in Uttar Pradesh (UP), which lies at 82°30’E longitude.

More about Ujjain

• Relation with Timekeeping: In Hindu astronomy, the Prime Meridian is considered to pass through Ujjain. Thus it is considered as the starting point for measuring longitudes.
  • It is believed that Ujjain is located at the precise point of interaction with the zero meridian and the Tropic of Cancer. 
• Time Observatory: In Ujjain lies India’s oldest observatory, built by Sawai Jai Singh II of Jaipur in the early 18th century.
• Geography: It lies on the bank of Kshipra River and the plateau of Malwa. The Tropic of Cancer passes through the city.
• Culture: Kumbh Mela festival occurs every 12 years in the city. 
• Religious Significance: For centuries, Ujjain has been a centre of religion for the Hindu, Jain and Buddha religions. It is well known for one of the twelve Jyotirlingas referred to as Mahakaleshwar Jyotirlinga.

Source: Indian Express