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History of the Calendar in Different Countries Through the Ages M.N. Saha and N.C. Lahiri COUNCIL OF SCIENTIFIC & INDUSTRIAL RESEARCH Rafi Marg, New Delhi- 1 10001 1992 Part C of Report of Calendar Reform Committee, Government of India First published: 1955 Reprinted: 1992 © Council of Scientific & Industrial Research, New Delhi Printed by Publications & Information Directorate Dr K.S. Krishnan Marg, New Delhi -110012 FOREWORD The Council of Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR) of the Government of India appointed a Calendar Reform Committee under the chairmanship of Prof. Meghnad Saha in November 1952. The Committee was entrusted with the task of 'examining all the existing calendars which are being followed in the country at present and after a scientific study of the subject, submit proposals for an accurate and uniform calendar for the whole of India'. The following were the members of the Committee: Prof. M.N. Saha, D.Sc, RR.S., M.P. (Chairman) Prof. A.C. Banerji, Vice-Chancellor, Allahabad University Dr. K.L. Daftari, Nagpur Shri J.S. Karandikar, Ex-Editor, The Kesari, Poona Dr. Gorakh Prasad, D.Sc., Allahabad University Prof. R.V. Vaidya, Madhav College, Ujjain Shri N.C. Lahiri, Calcutta (Secretary) Dr. Gorakh Prasad and Shri N.C. Lahiri came in place of Prof. S.N. Bose and Dr. Akbar Ali who were originally appointed but were unable to serve. The Committee's Report was submitted to CSIR in 1955 and the Government, in accepting the recom- mendations of the Committee, decided that 'a unified National Calendar' (the Saka Calendar) be adopted for use with effect from 21 March 1956 A.D., i.e., 1 Chaitra 1878 Saka. The Report of the Calendar Reform Committee was published by CSIR in 1955. Part C of the Report consisting of a review of 'History of the calendar in different countries through the ages' by Prof. M.N. Saha and Shri N.C. Lahiri was also published separately. This useful publication has been out of print for some time and scientists in general, and astronomers in particular, have been conscious of the non-availability of this valuable review. Therefore, the CSIR has decided to reprint it. No changes have been made from the original except that 'Corrigenda and Addenda' have been incorporated into the text, and consequently the bibliography and the index (which pertain to the whole report) have been repaginated. The title page of the Report, Jawaharlal Nehru's message, and Saha & Lahiri 's preface have also been included in the present volume. I hope that this reprinted volume will be found useful and informative by calendaric astronomers, science historians and scientists in general. S.K. Joshi New Delhi Director-General 15 August 1992. Council of Scientific & Industrial Research and Secretary, Department of Scientific & Industrial Research FACSIMILE OF ORIGINAL COVER REPORT OF THE CALENDAR REFORM COMMITTEE GOVERNMENT OF INDIA Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, Old Mill Road, New Delhi. 1955 MESSAGE I am glad that the Calendar Reform Committee has started its labours. The Government of India has entrusted to it the work of examining the different calendars followed in this country and to submit proposals to the Government for an accurate and uniform calendar based on a scientific study for the t^hole of India. I am told that we have at present thirty different calendars, differing from each other in various ways, including the methods of time reckoning. These calendars are the natural result of our past political and cultural history and partly represent past political* divisions in the country. Now that we have attained independence, it is obviously desirable that there should be a certain uniformity in the calendar for our civic, social and other purposes and that this should be based on a scisntific approach to this problem. It is true that for governmental and many other public purposes we follow the Gregorian calendar, which is used in the greater part of the world. The mere fact that it is largely used, makes it important. It has many virtues, but even this has certain defects which make it unsatisfactory for universal use. It is always difficult to change a calendar to which people are used, because it affects social practices. But the attempt has to be made even though it may not be as complete as desired. In any event, the present confusion in our own calendars in India ought to be removed. I hope that our Scientists will give a lead in this matter. New Delhi, February 18, 1953. MEMBERS OF THE CALENDAR REFORM COMMITTEE CHAIRMAN Prof. M. N. Saha, D. Sc., F. R. S., M, P., Director, Institute of Nuclear Physics, 92, Upper Circular Road, Calcutta-9. MEMBERS Prof, A. C. Banerji, M. A M M. Sc., F. N. I., Vice-Chancellor, Allahabad University, Allahabad. Dr. K. L. Daftari, B. A., B. LM D. Litt., Mahal, Nagpur. Shri J. S. Karandikar, B. A., LL. B., Ex -Editor, The Kesari, 568 Narayan Peth, Poona-2. Dr. Gorakh Prasad, D. Sc., Reader in Mathematics, Allahabad University, Beli Avenue, Allahabad, Prof. R. V. Vaidya, M. A., B. TM Senior Lecturer in Mathematics, Madhav College, Ujjain, 78, Ganesh Bhuvan, Freegunj, Ujjain. Shri N. C. Lahiri, M. A., 55A, Raja Dinendra Street, Calcutta-6. Shri N. C. Lahiri acted as the Secretary of the Committee. — TRANSLITERATION The scheme of transliteration of Sanskrit alphabets into Roman script adopted in this publication is the same as generally followed. The corresponding scripts are given below : VOWELS CONSONANTS k P kh g b gh bh c ch 3 jh t th d dh n o au t th d dh n times N* B. Diacritical marks have not generally been used in names of persons belonging to recent as well as in well-known geographical names. PREFACE The Calendar Reform Committee was appointed suggested by Dr. Hashim Amir Ali of the Osmania in November, 1952, by the Council of Scientific and University, and Janab Mohammed Ajmal Khan of the Industrial Research (of the Government of India) with Ministry of Education. It is for the Islamic world to give its the following terms of reference : verdict on these suggestions. If these sugges- tions are accepted, the Islamic calendar "To examine all the existing calendars which are fceing would fall in line with other luni-solar calendars. followed in the country at present and after a scientific study of the subject, submit proposals for an accurate and As these two important systems of calendars had uniform calendar for the whole of India". to be left out, the Committee's labours were confined to an In accordance with its terms of reference, the examination of the different systems of calendars used by Hindus, Bauddhas Committee (for personnel, see p. 4) has scientifically and Jainas in the different states of India, chiefly examined all the calendars prevalent in India (vide for the fixing up of the dates and moments of their religious Part C, Chap. V), viz*,— festivals, and for certain civil purposes as well. Gregorian Calendar*.. which is used for civil and For the administrative purposes (vide purpose of examining all the existing calendars of India, as per terms of p. 170) all over the world. reference, an appeal was issued to the Paricanga (Almanac) makers for Islamic Calendar used for fixing up the dates furnishing the Committee with three copies of their of Islamic festivals (vide Pancangas. In reply to our request 60 Pancangas p. 179). (Almanacs) were received from different parts of the Indian Calendars country and were examined (p. 21). To facilitate or Pancangas used for fixing up dates and examination of the calendars, a questionnaire was moments of Hindu, Bauddha issued to which 51 replies were received (pp. 23-31). and Jaina festivals in different In addition to the above, 48 persons offered their States of India* and in many suggestions (pp. 32-38) for reform of the Indian cases for civil purposes also. calendar. These views were very divergent in They are about 30 in number. character. Some quoted ancient scriptures to prove (vide Chap. V, p. 258). that the earth is flat, with a golden mountain in the It has been pointed out (p. 171) that the Gregorian centre round which move the sun and the planets, calendar, which is used all over the world for civil others tried to refute the precession of equinoxes. and administrative purposes, is a very unscientific and All opinions were taken into consideration in arriving inconvenient one. The World Calendar (p* 173), at the decisions of the Committee. proposed by the World Calendar Association of New Principles in followed fixing up the Calendar : —The York, has been examined and found suitable for calendar has got two distinct uses—civil and religious. modern life. The proposal for its adoption by all the The Indian Calendars are used not only for fixing up of the world for civil and administrative countries the dates and moments of religious observances but purposes was sponsored by the Indian Government also for the purpose of dating of documents and for before the U. N. O. and debated before the ECOSOC certain civil purposes not only by the rural, but also (Economic and Social Council) at Geneva in June, by a large section of the urban population. There is 173) and its recommendations have been 1954 (p. great divergence in practice in different parts of the transmitted to the Governments of the World for country in this respect. Therefore a unified solar their opinion. It is hoped that the World Calendar calendar has been proposed for all-India use for civil great will be ultimately adopted.
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