I was born in the mountainous village of Biltiya, Uttarakhand, on Ashadha Krishna Saptami, Samvat 2008, as the first child of my revered father, Shri Mohan Singh Rawat, and mother Darshani Devi. I completed my graduation from Agra University, earned an M.A. in Sociology from Rohilkhand University, and also completed an M.A. in Sanskrit and Acharya in Phalit Jyotish from the National Sanskrit Institute.

I retired from the Railways in July 2012 after 34 years of service. However, my true passion has been astrology for over 40 years. Initially, like many others, I viewed astrology primarily through the lens of predictive astrology due to a lack of proper guidance. In 1987, I was blessed by Shankaracharya Swaroopanand Ji at a famous astrology conference, where I was also honored with the title "Jyotish Bhushan." For several years, I proudly added this title to my name. As time passed, I was honored in many other conferences, but my disillusionment with predictive astrology grew, primarily for the following reasons:

My studies revealed that so-called Nirayana astrology is inherently flawed, and the panchangs being made are incorrect. This was a realization echoed by several scholars over the last 150-200 years. While many scholars and panchang creators were aware that the panchangs were incorrect, no one could clearly explain how to create a correct one.

Creating a correct panchang became my obsession. My attachment to Swami Dayanand Saraswati and his Vedic principles guided me in this quest. Swami Ji was the only great person I found who had absolute faith in truth and the Vedas. Others, while respectful towards the Vedas, often made compromises. Swami Ji’s words, "The Vedas are self-evident, and all other scriptures are valid only as long as they are based on the Vedas," became my guiding light. With this in mind, I began searching for Vedic aids for panchang calculation. I found the necessary guidance, and under it, the creation of the panchang was completed. Thus, we were able to accomplish what had not been done for centuries—correcting the panchang.

We did a good job, but it was entirely against the established ideologies. On the advice of my family, I consulted with jyotish scholars skilled in panchang calculations before presenting the panchang to the public. Additionally, I gave four talks on Sadhana Channel in 2004 to introduce the panchang to the general public. These broadcasts were very successful, and even those who initially mocked my work began to take it seriously.

In consultation with several friends, we formed a Panchang Reform Committee. Although people joined the committee, they lacked the courage to break away from traditional astrology, and thus the committee could not move forward. The only option left for me was to follow the motto, "Ekla Chalo Re" (Walk alone for the truth).
In Samvat 2064, Shaka 1929, the first issue of the Vedic Panchang named "Shri Mohan Krity Aarsh Patrkam" was published. The principles of Vedic Panchang are:

Despite our efforts, the traditional astrologers and panchang makers remain entrenched in their ways, primarily because they are financially tied to predictive astrology. Most Arya Samaj members are misled about astrology, associating it with predictive astrology. Even though Maharshi Dayanand Saraswati never rejected astrology, there is a widespread misconception that he did not support it. However, I believe that Arya Samaj, with its commitment to truth, can be persuaded through reason and logic. My appeal to Arya Samaj includes the following:

Despite facing challenges, I remain committed to promoting the Vedic Panchang. I seek the support of Arya Samaj and like-minded individuals to bring about a much-needed reform in the understanding and application of astrology, aligned with Vedic principles.

Acharya Darshaney Lokesh
C-276, Darshaney Lok
Gamma -Ist, Greater Noida -201308 (India)