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Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav inaugurated a modern planetarium in Dongla, Ujjain district on Saturday, which will provide information to children and visitors about the mysteries of astronomy through immersive 4K visual quality film.
CM Yadav also sat with children at the planetarium and watched a film based on the study of solar radiation and its waves. According to a release, this modern digital planetarium has been established in Dongla by Acharya Varahamihir Nyas, with financial support from Avada Foundation and technical support from Deep Sky Planetarium, Kolkata. The planetarium is also equipped with a digital projector and digital sound system. In this air-conditioned spherical planetarium, 55 people will be able to sit together and it is built at a cost of approximately Rs 1.6 crores. Dongla, located in Mahidpur tehsil of Ujjain district, lies on the Tropic of Cancer and holds a significant astronomical and astrological importance since ancient times. In 2013, the Madhya Pradesh Council of Science and Technology established the Varahamihira Astronomical Observatory in Dongla to further the legacy of India's scientific traditions, the release read. Additionally, the Chief Minister observed the rare astronomical phenomenon that occured on June 21 at the Varahamihira Astronomical Observatory located in Dongla, Ujjain. He observed the zero shadow phenomenon in the shadow operation system on the Shanku Yantra and explained to all present the concept of time variation and calendar calculation through solar movement. Shanku Yantra is a traditional astronomical instrument used in ancient Indian astronomy to study the movement of the Sun and measure time using its shadow. In the centre of the platform constructed on a horizontal circle of the horizon, a conical structure (Shanku) is installed, by whose shadow the speed of the Sun is measured. On this circular platform, three lines are drawn, which represent different positions of the Sun during the Uttarayan (northern solstice) and Dakshinayan (southern solstice). When the Sun reaches the last point of Uttarayan (Rajun), a special astronomical phenomenon occurs in Dongla. At 12:28 PM, the shadow of the cone disappears. (ANI)
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