*THE EPOCH OF PRAYAG KUMBH MELA (3 DECEMBER 6777 BCE)*

Prior to 6777 BCE, ancient Indians adhered to a five-year Yuga calendar. The calendar year commenced on Magha Shukla Pratipada and concluded on Pausha Amavasya, with Ashadha and Pausha serving as intercalary months at intervals of two and a half years. The Yuga calendar was essentially lunisolar.

The Surya Siddhanta, composed by Mayasura on 22 February 6778 BCE, revolutionized ancient Indian astronomy by introducing the 12-year Jupiter cycle, which began when Jupiter was in Aries. The traditional Paitamaha Siddhanta adopted this Jovian cycle of 12 years commencing on 3 December 6777 BCE, when Jupiter entered Taurus. This extension of the Yuga duration from five years to 1200 years (12 x 100) significantly enhanced the accuracy of calendrical calculations and planetary motions, marking the first time that planetary calculations became an integral aspect of Indian astronomy. Additionally, the Ashvinyadi list of nakshatras was introduced in place of the Krittikādi list, as the winter solstice had shifted to the Ashvini nakshatra around 7322 BCE. Thus, the epoch of 6777 BCE represents a major turning point in the history of ancient Indian astronomy.

With the extension of the Yuga duration from five years to 1200 years, it became essential to maintain a record of the elapsed 100 years from the epoch of 6777 BCE. A Saptarshi cycle of 2700 years was established, with each 100-year period named after one nakshatra, starting from Ashvini nakshatra. This innovative approach effectively facilitated the record-keeping of elapsed years from the epoch of 6777 BCE. It was subsequently hypothesized that the Saptarshis resided for 100 years in each nakshatra. The Puranas unanimously indicate that the Saptarshis were situated in Magha Nakshatra during the reign of Yudhishthira, suggesting that 3600 years had elapsed from 6777 BCE to the Mahabharata era.

Thus, the epoch of the Saptarshi calendar, 3 December 6777 BCE, plays a crucial role in establishing the chronology of ancient India. It also marks the beginning of the first cycles of 12 years and 60 years. The Maha Kumbh Mela of Prayag coincides with the epoch of the first 12-year cycle, specifically on 3 December 6777 BCE, when Jupiter was in Taurus and the Sun was in Capricorn. The first Kumbh was celebrated at Prayag in 6777 BCE, and the great cycle of 144 years (12 x 12-year cycles) also began in 6777 BCE. Twenty-five cycles of 144 years (3600 years) had elapsed around the commencement of the Kaliyuga. It appears that the cycles of 12 years and 144 years were reset in the Yudhishthira era (3161 BCE). The first Kumbh was celebrated in 3159 BCE when Jupiter entered Taurus. Starting from 3159 BCE, 36 cycles of 144 years had elapsed by 2025. The 36th cycle of 144 years will conclude on 13 January 2025. Thus, the tradition of Kumbh Mela at Prayag is over 8800 years old.

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