History of the Calendar in Different Countries Through the Ages by M.N. Saha and N.C. Lahiri , CSIR

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 

 Link : https://archive.org/details/HistoryOfCalendarPanchangaCommittee

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