The Astronomical Observatories of Jai Singh c15.s1.t1.5

c15.s1.t1.5

If the vernal equinox was marked by *Krittikās*, then the period of fixing this was about 2350 years B.C., when the vernal equinox was approximately of the same longitude as Alcyone (η Tauri), the brightest of the Pleiades. But the only evidence we have is the occurrence of the list of *nakshatras* with *Krittikās* at the head and, if the assumption made is true, the only legitimate conclusion is that this list must have been prepared at some time after 2350 B.C. It may have been an exotic list; or it possibly might be a genuine record of Hindu observation at some time or other. There is another difficulty in the fact that, according to the Hindu records, *Krittikās*, apparently, marked the vernal equinox for a very considerable period.