Book of Indian Eras, with Tables for Calculating Indian Dates c31.2

c31.2

THEORETICALLY the Hindu solar year should begin with the sun's entrance into Aries; but owing to the greater length of the Hindu year, the 1st of Vaisâkh has gradually receded, so that the first day of the solar year now falls on the 12th or 13th of April. The Indian computations were all made from the beginning of the Mahâ-Yuga, and owing to the difference in the length of the solar year as laid down by Aryabhatta and Varâha Mihira, there is often a discrepancy of one day in the beginning of the Hindu year in the places which make use of their different tables. The actual difference is, however, not so much, being only about one-third of a day in 4000 years. According to Warren the number of days assigned by Aryabhatta to a Mahâ-Yuga of 4,320,000 years is 1,577.917,500 in the south of India, and 42 more in the MSS. preserved in Bengal. The former gives a year of 365.2586805 days, and the latter of 365.258692 days.* But the Surya Siddhânta of Varâha Mihira gives 1,577.917,823 days to the Mahâ-Yuga, which makes the year somewhat longer, or 365.2587564 days.