Zero Mile, Kilometer zero marker in Nagpur, India.
Zero Mile is a sandstone pillar topped with four stucco horses, located at Nagpur's center at an elevation of 310 meters above sea level. The hexagonal base displays inscriptions showing distances to major Indian cities.
British engineers established this central reference point in 1907 during the Great Trigonometrical Survey of India to measure distances across the country. This survey created the foundational framework for mapping the Indian territory.
The name in Marathi is Śūnya Mailācā Dagaḍa, "zero mile stone". The four stucco horses on the pillar were added after the 1907 construction, not part of the original survey monument. Two villages in Madhya Pradesh, Karaundi and Barsali, also claim to be India's geographical centre, a claim Nagpur's monument cannot settle.
The site is located at coordinates 21°08'59″N 79°04'50″E in central Nagpur and is straightforward to find. The hexagonal base is visible from all sides and offers good views of the surroundings.
The pillar's top stands at 310.948 m above mean sea level, a figure tied to the GTS Standard Bench Mark beside it. Two villages in Madhya Pradesh, Karaundi and Barsali, also claim to be India's geographical centre, so Nagpur's title is contested. In 2008 The Times of India took on the monument's upkeep for five years.
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