History of Time

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Measurement of Time in Ancient India
Page Last Updated: February 17, 2024

Ancient Indians devised a detailed terminology for minute intervals of time. Although some experts feel that this terminology had no relevance to everyday life, this indicates the deep inroads the ancient Indians, especially those who devoted to scholarhood, had made in physics and mathematics.

Ancient Units of Time in India
18  nimesas (winks) 1 kashta (3.2 seconds)
30 kashtas 1 kala (1.6 minutes)
15 kalas 1 nadika or 1 nalika
30 kalas or 2 nadikas 1 muhurta or kshana (48 minutes?)
30 muhurtas 1 aho-ratra (1 cycle of day and night, 24 hours)

See Also:

References

  • Basham A. L., The Wonder That Was India, 1953

 

 
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