Ujjain and the Forgotten Story of Time

Whenever people talk about “time” today, the first thing that comes up is Greenwich Mean Time (GMT). The British made sure the world looked at Greenwich as the center of time, but very few know that long before that, Ujjain in India was the actual heart of world time and astronomy.

I grew up in Ujjain, and I always had this curiosity. Why do we live in a city that sits on the Tropic of Cancer, that has the ancient zero meridian line, that was once the backbone of astronomy… yet no one really talks about it?

Ujjain: Where Time Was Born

If you look at history, great astronomers like Varahamihira and Aryabhata placed Ujjain as the “Greenwich” of their time. Ujjain was called the Prime Meridian of India — the line from which all longitudes and time calculations were measured.

This wasn’t just symbolism. The location of Ujjain, almost exactly on the Tropic of Cancer, made it perfect for measuring the sun’s movement, seasons, and time itself. Temples and observatories here were used to track celestial bodies when Europe was still figuring out calendars.

Greenwich Meridian Vs Ancient Meridian

How the British Shifted the World’s Clock

But then, the British came. With their empire stretching across continents, they wanted their naval maps and trade routes to follow their own reference point. In 1884, at the International Meridian Conference in Washington DC, Greenwich was declared the “prime meridian” of the world.

Just like that, centuries of India’s astronomical weight were erased. Time literally shifted from Ujjain to London.

The Tropic of Cancer and Ujjain’s Special Place

Stand anywhere near Ujjain, and you’re close to the Tropic of Cancer — the invisible line that divides Earth into two climate zones. When the sun is directly overhead here during the solstice, it’s a reminder that this place is not ordinary. Our ancestors knew this. That’s why so many ancient calculations of time, calendars, and seasons started from here.

But we hardly ever see it celebrated. We don’t teach our kids that the line of time once ran through their own soil.

My Curiosity as a Local

Living in Ujjain, I always wondered — why don’t we talk about this more? It feels unfair that Greenwich gets all the glory while Ujjain remains hidden in the footnotes. Not because we lacked brilliance, but because power shifted the narrative.

Ujjain’s Weight Is Still Here

Even if the world doesn’t recognize it, the weight of Ujjain in time and astronomy cannot be erased.

Next time you look at your watch, remember this: the city that quietly ticks behind the story of time is not just in London, it’s right here, on the banks of the Shipra.