Overview
- The three-day “Mahakal: The Master of Time” conference opened Friday in Ujjain, where leaders inaugurated a new science centre and the education minister proposed a 'Mahakal Standard Time' to replace Greenwich Mean Time.
- Chief Minister Mohan Yadav announced plans to develop Ujjain as a 'Time Capital' and a Science City with about Rs 15 crore in funding and said the state will back studies to support its claims on timekeeping.
- Officials promoted nearby Dongla, about 32–35 km from Ujjain, as today’s key observation point because the Tropic of Cancer passes there, enabling clear 'zero shadow' measurements on the June solstice.
- ISRO, CSIR, TIFR, IIT Indore and DRDO ran exhibits and workshops, and on Saturday scientists briefed attendees on Chandrayaan-3’s moon landing and India’s next missions to return lunar samples and explore Venus and Mars.
- Organizers framed Ujjain’s bid in the city’s historic role noted in texts like the Surya Siddhanta, highlighted the 2024 Vedic clock installation, and tied new roads and venues to preparations for Simhastha 2028.