Indian historical tradition reckons the chronology from Svayambhuva Manu to the Mahabharata era in terms of the elapsed number of Manvantaras and Mahayugas (Chaturyugas). It is recorded that six Manvantaras and the Dvapara Yuga of the 28th Mahayuga of the seventh Manvantara had elapsed during the Mahabharata era. Though the 5-year Yuga calendar continued to be in vogue starting from the early Vedic era to the Mahabharata era, the duration of a Yuga and a Chaturyuga were increased from 5 years to 1200 years and from 20 years to 4800 years respectively at the end of the 28th Krita Yuga. Later, the duration of a Chaturyuga was again increased from 4800 years to 12000 years considering the differential duration of four Yugas in a ratio of 4:3:2:1. During the pre-Mahabharata era, ancient Indian astronomers further extended the duration of a Yuga from 1200 years to 432000 years (1200 times 360) and the duration of a Chaturyuga from 12000 years to 4320000 years (12000 times 360) with the objective of achieving accurate calandrical calculations. Unfortunately, those scholars who later updated the Puranas had erroneously deemed the increased calandrical duration of Chaturyugas as a given fact, and on that basis, narrated the chronological history of ancient India, resulting in, since antiquity, the loss of the true chronology from Manu to Mahabharata. The research found that the epoch of the end of the 28th Krita Yuga of the Vaivasvata Manvantara would be the strongest basis, if it is accurately established, to retrieve that lost chronology. Latadeva, a disciple of Aryabhata provides verifiable astronomical details of the epoch of the Kritayuganta in his Surya Siddhanta. According to him, Mayasura wrote Surya Siddhanta at the end of the 28th Krita Yuga when all five planets, the sun and the moon were in a perfect conjunction in Mesa Rasi (Aries) on Chaitra Sukla Pratipada. This research is able to determine that this rarest of conjunctions occurred on 22nd Feb, 6778 BCE, leading to the accurate fixing of the epoch of the beginning of the 28th Treta Yuga as 6777 BCE. The duration of the Treta Yuga was only 1200 years because the duration of a Yuga was extended from 5 years to 1200 years in 6777 BCE. After the end of the 28th Treta Yuga, the differential duration of four Yugas was introduced; therefore, the duration of the 28th Dvapara Yuga was 2400 years. As the duration of a Yuga, before 6777 BCE, was only five years, This research is able to establish the epoch of the early Vedic Yuga calendar as being around 15962 BCE. In this manner, the chronology has been reconstructed in this book, from the time of Svayambhuva Manu to the Mahabharata era based on the verifiable archaeo-astronomical references found in Vedic literature and Post-Vedic literature – the Ramayana, the Mahabharata and the Puranas. The following chronology of ancient India from the time of Svayambhuva Manu to the Mahabharata era has been established in this book: oProto-Vedic Period (16000-14500 BCE) oVedic Period (14500-10500 BCE) oAdiyuga : The Era of Early Manu Dynasty (14500-14000 BCE) oDevayuga: The Vedic Period (14000-11000 BCE) oThe Great Flood in Vaivasvata Manu’s Kingdom (11200 BCE) oVedic Sarasvati River lost in Thar Desert (10950 BCE) oLater Rigvedic Period (11500-10500 BCE) oPost-Vedic Sarasvati River started flowing westwards (10950-10000 BCE) oThe Post-Vedic Period (10500-6777 BCE) oThe submergence of the city of Dvaravati (9400-9300 BCE) oThe Recompilation of Avesta, i.e.

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