Varanasi/Bhopal, May 2 (IANS) Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent visit to Kashi Vishwanath Dham in Varanasi has brought the “Vikramaditya Vedic Clock” into sharp national and international focus, with the installation recording a digital reach of over 7.8 million people across multiple platforms.
PM Modi observed the Vedic Clock on April 29 after offering prayers and described it as a “magnificent blend of ancient wisdom and modern scientific outlook”. His remarks triggered widespread engagement across digital platforms, with live streams on official channels drawing thousands of viewers and television coverage reaching millions.
According to a statement from the Madhya Pradesh government on Saturday, the hashtag Vikramotsav Varanasi ranked first in India’s trending section, while several related hashtags generated significant traction. Officials said the strong digital response reflects growing interest in India’s traditional knowledge systems and their contemporary relevance.
Notably, the Vedic Clock, developed by the Maharaja Vikramaditya Research Institute in Ujjain, was presented by Chief Minister Mohan Yadav to Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and installed at the temple complex on April 4, 2026.
Explaining the significance of the initiative, a Madhya Pradesh government official said that the Vikramaditya Vedic Clock represents a scientific interpretation of India’s ancient timekeeping system and is an effort to present it in a format that is accessible to the modern generation.
The official added that the project aims to revive awareness of traditional astronomical knowledge while aligning it with contemporary technology.
Unlike conventional clocks, the Vedic Clock follows a 30-hour cycle based on sunrise and divides time into 30 Muhurats. It also displays detailed Panchang elements, including Tithi, Nakshatra, Yoga, Karana, and planetary positions, offering a comprehensive understanding of the traditional Indian calendar system.
The initiative has also been extended into the digital space through the Vikramaditya Vedic Clock mobile application, available on both the Google Play Store and App Store. Supporting more than 189 languages, the app provides sunrise and sunset timings, auspicious and inauspicious periods, and a Panchang spanning 7,000 years from the era of the Mahabharata to the present day. It also includes an alarm feature based on the Vedic time system.
Highlighting future plans, another official from the Madhya Pradesh government said that, following the success of this initiative in Varanasi, there are plans to install similar Vedic clocks at major religious centres across the country, including prominent Jyotirlinga sites and the Ram Temple in Ayodhya, to take this knowledge tradition to a wider audience.
Officials believe the project is not only a cultural installation but also a step towards globalising India’s traditional scientific heritage. By combining ancient wisdom with modern outreach, the Vikramaditya Vedic Clock has emerged as a symbol of how heritage and technology can come together to create meaningful public engagement.
