Hello all,

This is a question for all astrologers. So please let me know if this discussion needs to be moved to any other forum?

My question is how do you incorporate time zone in your natal chart calculations.  Like suppose you were born at a time when the time zone was different but now the current time zone has changed. Which time zone should be taken in for the calculations.

The same thing with DST. If DST was applicable in your country at the time of birth but has been removed now, what should you consider?

For eg. if you are born at 10:30AM IST when the time zone in your country is GMT + 6:30

But the current time zone in your country is GMT +5:30

So for calculation purpose what should be taken?
GMT + 6:30 or
GMT +5:30

and how is the user supposed to know which time zone to enter? India itself had different time zones before freedom which was changed later. So should people born during that time consider the older time zone?

My question is should the time zone or DST for a place be taken as it was 1. at the time of birth
2. the current time zone.

Because if it is 1 then it may not be existent now. Then will our calculations differ?

like fore eg. int his link
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Time_in_India

For people born in Bombay before 1947 what time zone should be taken?
GMT +5:30 or GMT+4:51 ???

do let me know if you need my question to be made more simple?

This is for our softwares and since we are trying to make it more accurate we need your guidance.

Swetha

Hi Swetha,

Talking of time zones and differences due to 'daylight saving' or 'war time saving'.

Daylight saving is not prevalent in India, but in countries which are more in the northern or Southern side.

'Time and date.com' gives very good details regarding the differences adopted.  

Regarding India.. 'Table of ascendants' by n.c. Lahiri gives certain dates when the railway time was adopted and certain periods when India standard time was there.
Again there was a period where daylight saving due to war was adopted.

People seeking predictions may or may not be aware of the technicalities well. The onl;y ways are ( asking the older generation like parents etc.

This work should be done by the astrologer by looking up at (1) time and date.com (2) table of ascendants by N.C. Lahiri will give a lot of details about India.

This time change factor is a big challenge for astrologers.

Do write for any queries ifI could not give an adequate information?

RishiRahul

Hello,
Thanks for your reply. That's precisely my question. How can I incorporate all this in my program? DST is currently not prevalent in India but was applicable for some period in 1942.

So how is a person born during that time supposed to know that DST was applicable for his date of birth. Please see below URL to understand what I mean.

http://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/timezone.html?n=54&syear=1925

How do I get an online Lahiri table of ascendants?

This has suddenly become complex

Changes of timings in India.......... from table of ascvendants.. by N.C. Lahiri

Originally each city in India used to maintain time of her own, while the panchangs used to indicate the local apparent time for many years. Any such recorded local mean time of the city can easily converted into the standard time of present day usage when the longitude of the place is known.

Standard time=local time -4(E. Long-82 degrees 30 minutes)mins of time
 or                =local time +4 82 degrees 30 minutes - E. long.) mins of time


Afterwards the railway time, the same as the local time of Madras (5 hrs 21 minutes ahead of G.M.T.) BEGAN TO COME TO USAGE. Many small cities, particularly outside west bengal adopted this time for civil purposes also.
This old railway time can be converted into the present day ist by the addition of 9 minutes only.

From 1906 A.D. the present I.S.T. which is 5h 30 m ahead of G.M.T. was adopted for the railway and postal organisations. Cities using old railway time adopted this standard time from that date. But calcutta and many places in bengal and some places of the adjacent provinces including some big cities of other states continued to maintain the local mean time instead of the standard time up to end Sept 1941. After that date there were changes of varying nature in the timings of different places as stated below.

From 1 Sept 1942 to 14 Oct 1945= I.S.t. was advanced all over india including modern bangla desh and pakistan by 1 hour for war purposes of daylight saving during the war period & was made equivalent to bengal time which was thus 6 h 30 m ahead of gmt.
Any recorded time of this period should therefore be reduced by i hr to obtain I.S.T. from 1 Sept 1947, Indsia standard time was introduced all over India.
Other changes of timings during war period and afterwards are noted belkow==


                                                                                                                                                  Reduction to I.S.T.
In calcutta..................... before 1 Oct 1941................calcutta time..................................................-0h 23m
In whole of Bengal from          1 Oct 1941 to 14 May 1942........Bengal time.......................................- 1 h 0m
.........do................................15 April 1942 to 31 Aug 1942......I.S.T.                                               - oh  0m
..........do................................1 Sept 1942 to 31 Aug 1947........Bengal time....................................-1 h
In west bengal since 1 Sept 1947 .............I.S.T/............................................................................0h 0m

Assam from 1 Nov 1941 to 14 May 1942 and again from 1 Sept 1942 to 14 Oct 1945 and Bihar from 1 Dec 1941 to 14 May 1942 and again from 1 Sept 1942 to14 Oct 1945 observed Bengal time (otherwise I.S.T.)........................................................................................................- 1h
East Pakistan observed Bengal time for civil purposes and pakistan standard time, same as I.S.T.  for railway and postal work etc. upto 30 Sept 1951. From 1 Oct 1951 East Pakistan (now Bangladesh) standard time is 30 m more than I.S.T. and west pakistan, now pakistan standard time is 30 m less than I.S.T.


.....End of chapter..

Anything else you require?

RishiRahul

I dont think an online table of ascendant by lahiri is available, but it is available oppsite the old Lighthouse cinema in kolkata... shpop called modern book depot and is priced at Rs. 80