Dr Satya Dev Gupta
Following Christmas, the New Year of different calendars begins. The most scientifically based transition, determined by the movement of the sun, is the day of Makar Sankranti. This jubilant and vibrant festival, celebrated with fervor across India, marks the transition of the sun as it crosses the equator, begins its northward journey, and enters the zodiac sign of Capricorn. This phenomenon is related to the Earth’s tilt, the sun’s movement, and the solar cycle. This celestial journey of the sun signifies the end of winter and the onset of longer, sunnier days. The sun’s trajectory opens the doors to a deep resonance with Indian culture, rooted in agrarian traditions, celebrating the harvest and the forthcoming spring season with open arms.
In contrast to the Indian Makar Sankranti festival, the celebration of the Gregorian calendar commences at the end of icy December. People gather joyously in high spirits, courage, and a sense of community on the eve of the New Year, which begins on January 1st. Some people engage in heated debates to understand why this date is considered the New Year. They ponder why it doesn’t begin on the birthday of Jesus Christ, or Christmas itself. Why, then, do we celebrate on January 1st,? Some consider it merely an extension of the Christmas festivities, the Pandora of this Enigma has to be opened.
The passage of time, marked by the ticking of days, years, and centuries, has driven humanity’s desire to measure the distance traveled by this unique, timekeeping companion. This eagerness gave birth to the calendar. The importance of calendars for timekeeping was recognized thousands of years ago. As a result, for centuries, many types of calendars have been used worldwide. Numerous countries have their own calendars, with the New Year beginning between February and April. It is estimated that 36 types of ancient calendars were followed in India, though most are now out of use. Popular calendars in India include Vikram Samvat, Shak Samvat, Hijri Year, and Saptarishi Samvat.
The widely recognized Gregorian calendar began about 438 years ago in 1582 (on October 15) after being revised by Pope Gregory XIII, who aimed to fix Christmas on December 25 and designate December 31 as the last day of the year, with January 1 marking the start of the new year.
Development from the Roman Calendar to the Julian Calendar
The Roman calendar, used thousands of years ago, was flawed, inaccurate, and complicated. Julius Caesar of Rome introduced the Julian calendar in 45 BC, acknowledging that it takes approximately 365.25 days to complete a year. However, this was not entirely accurate, as it actually takes 365.24219 days for the Earth to orbit the sun. At that time, it was not yet understood whether the Earth revolves around the sun or vice versa. The Julian calendar was no longer dependent on the observation of the new moon but simply followed an algorithm that added a leap day every four years.
Recognition of the Gregorian Calendar
In the mid-16th century, it was noted that the calendar lagged behind the actual year by 11 days. To rectify this, Pope Gregory XIII ordered that October 5, 1582, be considered October 15, 1582. This adjustment resolved the issue of the 11-day discrepancy. However, there are still minor inaccuracies in the Gregorian calendar, as it counts 365.2425 days in a year instead of 365.24219 days, potentially generating a discrepancy of one day after 3200 years, which can be adjusted over time. The Gregorian calendar differs from the solar year by 26 seconds per year, leading to a significant discrepancy since its introduction in 1582.
When the World Adopted This Calendar
The Gregorian calendar was not adopted worldwide all at once; it took nearly 200 years to become the secular calendar used globally. In India, the Gregorian calendar was introduced by the East India Company and adopted in 1752.
Flaws with the Gregorian Calendar
Unequal Months: The months vary in length and are not uniformly distributed throughout the year. For instance, February never has 30 or 31 days, while July and August do.
Unequal Quarters: The four quarters of the year are not equal in length.
Irregularity: The Gregorian calendar is not perennial, meaning each year starts on a different day of the week. This makes it challenging to schedule recurring events, such as holidays and sporting events.
Confusion with Other Calendars: When an event affects both the Gregorian and Julian calendars, confusion can arise. For example, William III of England sailed from the Netherlands on November 11, 1688 (Gregorian calendar), but arrived in England on November 5, 1688 (Julian calendar)
Mistakes of the Gregorian Calendar: One of the most pressing problems caused by the error was the increasing difficulty in calculating the date of Easter. The Council of Nicaea, in 325 AD, decreed that Easter should fall on the first Sunday following the first full moon after the vernal equinox, which at that time was observed to be on March 21.
Ancient Indian Outlook: Time and space are two wonders that extend infinitely both behind and ahead of us simultaneously. These concepts have inspired humanity to explore the outer realms of space and gaze at the stars, seeking to find patterns governing periods and intervals. Ancient astronomers aimed to understand how to measure time based on the astronomical phenomena manifesting in the sky.
Hindu Calendar: A unique marking of Hindu calendars is that it has made a scientific division of the year into 6 seasons namely, Basant, Greeshma, Varsha, Sharad, Hemant and Shishir
Western calendars are geocentric, whereas Indian calendars are universe-centric and ingeniously based on both the sun and the moon. The Hindu calendar uses a solar year but divides it into twelve lunar months. Furthermore, these months align with the sun’s position in different zodiac constellations (12 Rashis), marking its path.
Measures of Time: Ancient astronomers in India developed a scale for measuring time from the smallest units, such as TRUTI (34000th of a second), to larger divisions including ERA, MANVANTER, and KALPA.
The precision, accuracy, and scientifically proven system of the Hindu calendar became popular in Nepal, Tibet, Thailand, Java, as well as in Islamic countries and Southeast Asia. Indian texts on astronomy were translated into Chinese during the Sui and Tang Dynasties (581-907 CE). Foreign astrologers from Persia and Arabia were attracted to India for its rich astronomical knowledge. David Pingree, a classicist, historian, and orientalist, noted the positive influences of Indian literature on global astronomy.
(The author is Ex Professor and Head of Department ICU of Medical College Jammu)
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