Significance of ancient tamil calendar !!!

The World's most accurate calendar & Oldest calendar in the World!! 

       Tamil calendar is the most accurate and the oldest calendar in the World. Several thousand years before, ancient siddhars of tamizhakam had founded a calculation system and formed a precise tamil calendar, on which even a milli second is not compromised / adjusted. This post will unveil the accuracy of tamil calendar founded by ancient siddhars and the reasons behind it's accuracy. 

        

    Westerners are saying that Gregorian calendar is the most accurate one. This post will compare the accuracy of both the calendars, miscalculation of Gregorian calendar, the reason behind the 'practising leap year', the adjustments made in the western calendar, missed days in history and currently missing days are explained in detail. 

What is Gregorian calendar?

          The calendar that we use today across the World is 'Gregorian calendar'. It is a solar calendar based on a 365-day common year divided into 12 months of irregular lengths.  The Gregorian calendar is today's internationally accepted civil calendar and is also known as the Western or Christian calendar.    

Pope Gregory XIII introduced the Gregorian calendar in 1582 and Julian Calendar was used before this. 

        The romans devised a complicated lunar calendar with 365 days and named it as 'Julian calendar' and it was put into effect by Julius Caesar in 46 B.C. However, as they miscalculated the length of the year, the system was flawed. Over the years, the Julian calendar didn’t sync with the seasons, which became noticeable in the 1570s that leads to producing a calendar that was off by ten days. 

    It meant that Easter which was traditionally observed on March 21, fell further away from the spring equinox with each passing year. 

        

Equinox - means equal length of day and night. This event occurs when the Sun crosses the Earth's plane of equator i.e both Sun and equator aligns in a straight line. 

There are 2 equinoxes, one is called as Spring equniox which occurs in Spring season (March 21) and other one is autumn equinox which occurs in autumn season (September 23).

Coming back to the topic, Julian calendar was modified and a new calendar was introduced in Ceasar's time for 2 reasons,

    1. To fix the date of spring equinox as March 21, resulting that Easter can never occur before March 21 or after April 25. 

    2. To correct the length of the year and to be in synch with the Solar year.

Reason Behind Leap days and Leap year:

        In ceasar’s time, romans made modification to reduce the average length of the year to correct the drift against solar year. So, in addition to 12 months, they had 27 - 28 days extra and called it as intercalary month. After so much of effort, Ceasar's reform tried to resolve this problem permanently aligned with solar without any human intervention and introduced a change called 'leap days' and leap years to match the calendar with the seasons every year. This is how leap days came into existence.

Thus, leap days and leap year was introduced to compensate a day and to be in synch with the solar year calculation. While introducing this calendar many days were missed and people woke up 13 days later....

13 Missing days in the history:

        When the new calendar was made official on October 4, 1582, people woke up the next day to a new date - October 15. 

1582 isn’t the only time in history that days vanished from a calendar. When England switched to the Gregorian Calendar on September 2, 1752, they woke up on September 14. And, because we were still a colony, this meant the occasion happened in their colonised States as well.

There are also more recent examples. In Alaska, October 6, 1867, was followed by October 18, 1867. The reason was that up until this point, Alaska was a part of Russia — a country that didn’t use the Gregorian Calendar.

Russia switched in 1918 and Greece in 1923. Because these countries waited so long, they had to skip over 13 days.

        MOST IMPORTANT POINT TO BE NOTED HERE IS, ASTRONOMERS ARE NOT USING THIS GREGORIAN CALENDAR, THEY ARE SAYING THAT THIS IS USELESS !!

        The calendar which made adjustments for extra days and introduced leap year for their mistake, which skipped several days in the history, is now called as 'THE MOST ACCURATE CALENDAR IN THE WORLD !!!'  

WOW !!!  Is this called as Accuracy ?? Are we still thinking that we are slaves ?  Do we still think that we are far behind than the westerners ? Why do we have to blindly accept a faulty one as accurate, when we have the precious, error - free and the MOST ACCURATE TAMIL CALENDAR  (SIDEREAL SOLAR CALENDAR) in place ???

        Tamizh calendar is the oldest and the accurate calendar in the World !! There is no such concept of intercalary month, leap days and leap year !! 

It was devised by ancient siddhars several thousand years before. It is a precise one, it has every minutiae details about the calculation of Time, revolution cycle of all planets and position of zodiacs as well. Astronomers, Astrologists are using this calendar for years...

     Ever wondered, how tamil calendar is accurate ??? By the end of this post, one will understand why did I say that it is the most ancient and the most accurate one !!!

Before knowing about the accuracy of tamil calendar, let me disclose more missing days of Gregorian calendar. Earlier, you all have read about the missing days in history, now I'm going to unveil about the continuously missing days in this system, i.e as per the calculation of this calendar, several days are getting missed out even now and it will occur in future as well. 

How the days are getting missed out now (present) and in future ? 

Continuously Missing days in Gregorian calendar:

        Leap day is a technique used to compensate the missing days. Gregorian calendar was introduced with a minor modification of the Julian calendar, reducing the average year from 365.2563 days to 365.2425 days and adjusting for the drift in the 'tropical' or 'solar' year that the inaccuracy had caused during the intervening centuries.

This extra .2425 days per year is compensated as one leap day in every 4 years and hence called as leap year. 

    What will happen, when someone copies from a different system without any complete understanding about it? Mistakes, Adjustments, Corrections etc... A small correction, doesn't look like a mistake in short durations, but in long run, it will create discrepancies and will take a bigger picture. Here, in this post, I'm going to explain about that correction that failed terribly, went unnoticed for years and still blindly followed by billions of people.... Truth never dies...

The actual and accurate time taken by Earth to complete one round around the Sun is 365.25636 days, but it is considered as little less in Gregorian calendar.

How 365.25636 days is the correct one ? Why Gregorian days are not accurate ? Continue to read, to know the answer....

How Tamil calendar is the correct and precise one?

        In Tamil calendar, a year is calculated based on the position of the earth with respect to the zodiacs near the sun. This system is totally based on revolving of the earth around the sun with respect to the zodiacs and is independent of revolving of the moon around the earth. Westerners call this as 'Sidereal solar system'.

See the difference between Gregorian's solar and Tamil's sidereal solar system for a day... Check the accuracy of Sidereal solar day in the picture below....

Check which one is calculating the accurate 360 degree rotation of the Earth correctly and which one is differing.....

Tamil calendar - Sidereal system - is calculating the precise 360 degree rotation, while the Solar one is calculating more than 360 degree i.e 360.9 degree rotation as ONE DAY !!

       

This is the accuracy of tamil calendar which was founded by the ancient brilliant siddhars, who had powers !!

There are more details in this post about the accuracy of tamil calendar....

Now, coming back to the topic of currently missing days in Gregorian calendar, check the differences between both the calendar...

Tamil Calendar       -> Sidereal year -> One year = 365. 2563 days

Gregorian calendar -> Solar year      -> One year = 365.2425 days

Does this small decimal gap makes lot of difference ??

Yes !! Due to this, there are several days being missed out in this calendar currently and in future as well. Also, a year is getting completed earlier than the actual year completion !!!

Currently Missing days and incomplete year in Gregorian calendar:

Let us take the decimals of of the year calculation and compare...

Gregorian -> (365)0.2425 = 5 hours and 48 minutes = 348 minutes

Tamil        -> (365)0.2563 = 6 hours and 9 minutes = 369 minutes

The total difference between these two calendar is 21 minutes per year. 

Thus, according to Gregorian calendar, every time the new year occurs 21 minutes earlier than the actual year completion. This missing minutes doesn't affect much for few centuries, but as several centuries passes by, it does makes a lot of difference.... How ??

For 1 year, the difference is 21 minutes. So, for 100 year, the difference is 2100 minutes = 35 hours = 1 day and 11 hours. 

That is,  1 day and 11 hours are missed per century in Gregorian calendar. Let us consider from this year as example, from 1-Jan-2021 to 1-Jan-2121, one and a half days will be missed out (the actual century completion will be on mid of 2 - Jan-2121). This type of missing days will be repeated for every century....

From the year 1582 - 1982 AD, there are 400 years and as per this calculation, 5.8 days are missing... i.e 400 years will be completed only on 6th Jan 1982...

So, for 1000 years, 14.58 days will be missed out. 

For example: This Gregorian calendar was implemented on the year 1582. Considering from 1st January 1582 to 1st January 2582, there will be 14.48 days difference, i.e 1000 years will be completed only by mid of 14th January 2582. Hence, per millennium 14.58 days are being missed out.

        The tamil calendar - zodiac and sun based calculation is the most accurate one and it was also followed by many ancient civilisations such as Mayans, Egyptians etc...

Zodiacs used by Egyptians

       

         In terms of astronomy, the Sidereal Calendar is a solar calendar that follows the annual motion of the sun relative to the stellar zodiac, rather than to the equinoxes and solstices.

Ancient Measuring system of Tamizhs:

        In ancient tamizhakam, there was a practise of using oldest measuring units in tamil. There are several similarities between measurement system between tamizhakam and Indus valley civilisation. Recent excavations from Keezhadi site revealed existence of oldest measuring system, which is older than the Vedic civilisation.

        Many text books are saying that this zodiac and sun based calculation, called as sidereal solar system was founded by Aryabhata. Enough of suppressing the glory of tamizh people !!! This post will expose the truth!!!

The sidereal solar system was founded by ancient tamil siddhars, who existed before the arrival of Vedic civilisation!!!

        Keezhadi and Indus valley civilisation were ancient tamizh civilisation and they were older than the Vedic civilisation. The tamil measuring system used by them in those regions are the proof that it was founded by ancient tamizh people and not Aryabhata, who belonged to later period...

As per ancient measuring system followed by tamizhians, the lowest measuring time is 66.66 milli seconds, which is the time taken by the human eyes to flap once. There are different terms for the units such as 66.66 milli seconds, 0.125 seconds, 0.25 seconds, 0.40 seconds, 0.50 seconds, 0. 80 seconds and 1 second. 

          So, there are 7 different measuring units from milli seconds to 1 second range. Ancient tamil people did such a precise calculation for  measuring units of time !!!

        Even milli seconds were given importance, was precisely calculated and had formed a calculation system. Here are the measuring systems used by ancient tamizhians...

From 66.66 millisecond - 1 second measurement:

• 10 kuzhigaḷ (குழிகள்) = 1 miy (மிய்) = 66.6666 millisecond-the time taken by the young human eyes to flap once.
• 2 kaṇṇimaigaḷ (கண்ணிமைகள்) = 1 kainoḍi (கைநொடி) = 0.125 second
• 2 kainoḍi (கைநொடி) = 1 māttirai (மாத்திரை) = 0.25 second
• 6 miygaḷ (மிய்கள்) = 1 நொடி(noḍi) / ciṟṟuḻi (சிற்றுழி) = 0.40 second-the time taken for a bubble (created by blowing air through a bamboo tube into a vessel 1 சாண் (cāṇ) high, full of water) to travel a distance of one சாண் (cāṇ).
• 2 māttiraigaḷ (மாத்திரைகள்) = 1 kuṟu (குறு) = 0.50 second
• 2 noḍigaḷ (நொடிகள்) = 1 viṉāḍi (வினாடி) = 0.80 second-the time for the adult human heart to beat once
• 2​¹⁄₂ noḍigaḷ (நொடிகள்) = 2 kuṟu (குறு) = 1 uyir (உயிர்) = 1 second

From 2 second to 4 minutes:

• 5 noḍigaḷ (நொடிகள்) = 2 uyir (உயிர்) = 1 cāṇigam (சாணிகம்) = 1/2 aṇu (அணு) = 2 seconds
• 10 noḍigaḷ (நொடிகள்) = 1 aṇu (அணு) = 4 seconds
• 6  aṇukkaḷ (அணுக்கள்) = 12 cāṇigam (சாணிகம்) = 1 tuḷi (துளி) = 1 naligai - vinadi  (நாழிகை வினாடி) = 24 seconds
• 10 tuḷigaḷ (துளிகள்) = 1 kaṇam (கணம்) = 4 minutes

Minutes, hours, day, week, fortnight, month, season, year, cycle and an epoch calculation

• 6 kaṇangaḷ (காணன்கள்) = 1 nāḻigai (நாழிகை) = 24 minutes
• 10 nāḻigaikaḷ (நாழிகைகள்) = 4 cāmam (சாமம்) = 1 ciṟupoḻutu (சிறுபொழுது) = 240 minutes = 4 hours
• 6 ciṟu-poḻutugaḷ (சிறுபொழுதுகள்) = 1 nāḷ (நாள்) = 1 day = 24 hours

• 7 nāṭkaḷ (நாட்கள்) = 1 vāram (வாரம்) = 1 week
• 15 nāṭkaḷ (நாட்கள்) = 1 aḻuvaluvamam (அழுவம்) = 1 fortnight
• 29​¹⁄₂ nāṭkaḷ (நாட்கள்) = 1 tingaḷ (திங்கள்) = 1 lunar month
• 2 tingaḷ (திங்கள்) = 1 perum-poḻutu (பெரும்பொழுது) = 1 season

• 6 perum-poḻutu  (பெரும்பொழுது) = 1 āṇdu (ஆண்டு) = 1 year
• 64 āṇdukaḷ (ஆண்டுகள்) = 1 vaṭṭam (வட்டம்) = 1 cycle
• 4096 āṇdukaḷ (ஆண்டுகள்) = 1 ōḻi (ஊழி ) = 1 epoch

Even today, while calculating auspicious date and time for marriages, we used to calculated naligai.

Decimals are also given important for perfection, want to know how much priority is given to accuracy of maths ??

There are so many units for fractions in tamils, here I have mentioned only some of them... 

Fractions

• 1 – Onru - ஒன்று
• 3/4 = 0.75 – mukkāl - முக்கால் 
• 1/2= 0.5 – arai - அரை 
• 1/4 = 0.25 – kāl - கால் 
• 1/5 = 0.2 – nālumā - நாலுமா 
• 3/16 = 0.1875 – மும்மாகாணி –mummākāṇi this is called as Mukkhani
• 3/20 = 0.15 – mummaa -மும்மா 

• 3/320 = 0.009375 – araikkāṇi muntiri- அரைக்காணி முந்திரி  
• 3/5120 ≈ 5.85938e-04 – kīḻ mūndru vīsam - கீழ் மூன்று வீசம்  
• 3/6400 = 4.6875e-04 – kīḻ mummā- கீழ் மும்மா  
• 1/74481555456000 ≈ 1.34261e-14 – sintai - சிந்தை 
• 1/1489631109120000 ≈ 6.71307e-16 – katirmunai - கதிர்முனை 
• 1/59585244364800000 ≈ 1.67827e-17 – kuralvaḷaippiḍi - குரல்வளைப்படி
• 1/3575114661888000000 ≈ 2.79711e-19 - veḷḷam - வெள்ளம் 
• 1/357511466188800000000 ≈ 2.79711e-21 – nuṇmaṇal - நுண்மணல் 

• 1/2323824530227200000000 ≈ 4.30325e-22 – tērttugaḷ –தேர்த்துகள் 

In english, do we have any such defined unit / terms in modern fraction???

  Gregorian calendar contains fixed number of days in every month except February and it has both leap days and leap year. Where as Tamizh calendar, there are no leap days and leap year,  the number of days in a given month can vary between years. Sometimes, Tamil months may even have 32 days.

Check the tamil calendar for the last 6 years in the picture below, to understand it better.... 'Sithirai' / 'Chithirai' is the first month in tamil calendar.

        In sidereal solar calendar, time taken by the Sun to pass through each zodiac ranges from 29.4 days to 31.6 days. Month-wise average number of days starting from Chithirai are 30.9, 31.4, 31.6, 31.5, 31.0, 30.5, 29.9, 29.5, 29.4, 29.5, 29.8, 30.3 days.

        The actual number of days in any month could vary as per the exact time when sun enters and leaves the particular zodiac. So, there is no chance of leap days in tamil calendar....

Vidyashankara temple, Sringeri

        To signify the calculation of year and transition of Sun between zodiacs, there is a temple built by ancient tamil people in Sringeri, Karnataka called 'Vidyashankara temple'.

         This ancient temple was built in dravidian style architecture, the pillars were precisely built with angle and geometrical patterns. This temple has six doorways.  The eastern half of the structure is called as mantapa, which is surrounded by twelve pillars (popularly known as rasi stambhas), marked by the twelve signs of the zodiac. They are constructed in such an ingenious way that the rays of the sun fall on each pillar in the chronological order of the twelve months of the tamil calendar. Each column is topped by a Yali with a rolling stone ball in its mouth.

    Every morning when the sun rays enter, they hit at one specific pillar indicating particular solar month of a year.

        The rays of the sun fall on each of pillar in the order of the twelve solar months. On the floor, there is a large circle, marked with converging lines to indicate the direction of the shadows. This is one of the example of tamil people with their expertise in angles and geometry....

    Inside the temple, on the floor, a circle is drawn with lines corresponding to the shadows cast by each pillar. There are five shrines here. The main shrine has a Shiva Linga and the Garbhagraha is topped by a majestic square vimana.

       Ancient tamil people's expertise in angles, geometry and their vast knowledge about astronomy is being reflected in this temple design. This temple is a proof for accuracy of sidereal solar system, it's an example for astronomical and mathematical knowledge. It's an architectural wonder with a perfection in design and astronomical values.... 

     Tamil calendar is one of the oldest calendar in the world. It has the most accurate and has unique name for every calendar year for 60 year cycle. Why only 60 years in a cycle ?? 

60 year cycle of tamizh calendar

        The sexagenary cycle also known as the Stems-and-Branches or ganzhi, is a cycle of sixty terms, each corresponding to one year, thus a total of sixty years for one cycle. This system was widely used in ancient tamizhakam and China. Below are the sixty names for 60 year cycle...

60 year cycle in tamizh

        The whole tamizh astrology was built based on the tamizh calendar. Ancient tamizh sages were experts in astrology and calculated the year cycle precisely several thousand years before. They had brilliantly classified the visible sky into 12 rashis (constellations).  For example, in  Nava grahas, Saturn and Jupiter had the longest cycle around the sun.

Jupiter takes 12 years to complete 1 rotation around the sun 

    Thats why in Astrology we have Jupiter transition (குருப்பெயர்ச்சி) from one zodiac to another zodiac every year, i.e the jupiter resides in each zodiac for 1 year and thus when it reaches the last zodiac, 12 years will be completed which denotes 1 complete rotation of Jupiter around the sun.

 Saturn takes 30 years to complete 1 rotation around the sun 

        Saturn Transition (சனிப்பெயர்ச்சி) occurs every 2.5 years (12*2.5 = 30 years). That is, saturn resides at each zodiac for 2.5 years and to complete 1 full rotation around sun, it takes 30 years. 

      All the 9 planets align themselves in the same position for every 60 years. It is also related to 5 revolutions of Jupiter around the Sun and 60-year orbit of Nakshatras (stars). Ancient tamizh people had already calculated this and that is the reason for having 60 year cycle in tamizh calendar.

        This 60 year cycle system is being practised from the ancient times.  The similar system of calendar and 60 year cycle is also used in other countries such as China, Japan, Korea, Taiwan and Vietnam. This 60 year cycle has contemporary role in Chinese astrology and fortune telling...

        This is the significance of tamizh calendar, it is the accurate and oldest calendar in the World. It has abundant knowledge about the astronomy which was founded by our ancient genius siddhars. Siddhars were the fountainhead of knowledge, astronomy, medicine, arts, science and technology... 

        Those who are following sidereal solar system should be proud about their ancestor's expertise and knowledge. It is not only a tradition, it has more of scientific facts and precise astronomical calculations in it. Its our duty to continue and to transfer this precious knowledge to the next generation of kids with pride.....

- Aarthi Thiyagarajan