Bhopal: Taking inspiration from the Kashi-Vishwanath corridor in Uttar Pradesh, which became the first shrine complex in India to install a 'Vikramaditya' clock—a gift from Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav—all major temples and government landmarks across the country will now feature the world's first clock that keeps traditional Indian time.
The device, designed and developed in Madhya Pradesh, represents a unique fusion of tradition and technology, reflecting time calculation methods dating back to ancient times. Themed as 'India's Time – Earth's Time', the Vedic clock was installed at the sacred temple complex in Varanasi ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit last month.
Shriram Tiwari, the Chief Minister's cultural advisor and director of the Maharaja Vikramaditya Research Chair, told TOI on Tuesday: 'We have discussed the plan and it is now in its final stage. The Somnath temple in Gujarat will install a Vedic clock in the coming months, followed by the Mahakaleshwar temple in Ujjain. Our government will install these clocks at all 12 Jyotirlingas in the first phase before extending the initiative to all major temples in the country, including the Ram temple in Ayodhya. Among the top government landmarks and offices where these clocks will be installed are Lok Bhavan, the Madhya Pradesh assembly secretariat, the Prime Minister's Office, Parliament, and Rashtrapati Bhavan.'
The Prime Minister's visit on April 29, during which the 'Vikramaditya' clock was installed, became a major trend on social media platforms, energizing developers to produce more such traditional timepieces. According to government sources, the hashtag #Vikramotsav_Varanasi ranked number one in India's trending section on X, marking a digital milestone for an event related to Sanatan culture and the Indian system of time-keeping. Officials reported that more than 16 major hashtags were tracked, including #Varanasi, #Vikramaditya_Vedic_Clock, and #Vedic Ghadi, attracting millions of online views.
So far, the state has installed Vedic clocks in Ujjain (in the city, not at the Mahakaleshwar temple), at the Chief Minister's Bhopal residence, and at the Kashi Vishwanath temple in Varanasi. The clock is touted as the first of its kind in the world, calculating and displaying time based on the traditional 'Vedic Panchang' rather than the standard 24-hour Gregorian system.
This clock redefines traditional time-keeping: a day starts at sunrise, not midnight, and ends with the next sunrise. It divides the day into 30 'muhurtas', each lasting approximately 48 minutes. The clock begins at 0:00 at sunrise, with sunset typically occurring around the 15th muhurta. It also displays Local Mean Time (LMT), calculated based on the sun's position, making it more location-specific. Additionally, the clock shows key 'panchang' elements such as 'tithi' (lunar day) and 'nakshatra' (constellation), and provides information on festivals, eclipses, moon phases, and astrological calculations. For reference, it simultaneously displays Indian Standard Time (IST) and Greenwich Mean Time (GMT).
The initiative aims to revive the ancient Indian system of 'kaal ganana' (time reckoning) derived from Vedic texts, integrating it with modern digital technology.
