Q: New Year

[Luis Arnold Gonzalez-Reimann]

On Tue, 16 Apr 1996, Girish Beeharry wrote:

> Hi, > > >April 13th, or thereabout, is the time when the sun enters
Aries > >(meshasaMkrAnti), the first sign of the zodiac, according to the
nirayana or > >sidereal system followed in most of India. This system
takes into > >consideration the precession of the equinox, i.e., the fact
that the > >position of the earth in relation to the fixed stars changes
slightly with > >every year, so that if one's birth sign according to
Western astrology is > >Aries, it is likely that the sun was in fact in
Pisces at the time of his > >birth. At present, the precession (ayanAMs'a)
is around 23-24 degrees; there > >are some differences of opinion as to
the exact value. > > As far as I know, the origin of the system is near or
at the star zeta Piscis. > This star lies quite near the ecliptic (or
zodiacal line). If the ecliptic is > then divided into 12 equal lengths,
and this star is asumed to be the origin, > then the ayanaamsha can be
calculated reasonably accurately. > > Makar Sa.nkraanti marks, as you
know, the start of the apparent movement of the > Sun towards the North
(uttaraayaNa). > > bye, > > Girish Beeharry


 The last statement is incorrect, because the makara samkranti is the 
Sun's entry into the
sidereal constellation of Capricorn, whereas the uttarAyaNa always starts
with the entry of the Sun into the tropical sign of Capricorn, that is, at
the time of the Winter solstice.  These two no longer coincide, as has
been explained, because of precession. 

 Sincerely,

Luis Gonzalez-Reimann
Department of South and Southeast Asian Studies
University of California,
Berkeley
 
 
 
 
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