# Why India’s Independence Was Marked at Midnight 2026-08-15T02:57:41+00:00 | Politics | Indian Opinion Desk Corroboration: 2 independent outlets Lord Louis Mountbatten chose August 15, 1947, for the transfer of power, partly because it marked Japan’s surrender anniversary. Indian astrologers reportedly considered the date inauspicious, but the date could not be changed after political and legal arrangements were made. The Indian Independence Act fixed August 15 as the date for independence. The compromise was to hold the key ceremony around midnight between August 14 and 15. The Constituent Assembly met from 11 pm, before Jawaharlal Nehru delivered his Tryst with Destiny speech. Popular accounts associate the timing with astrologers including Pandit Suryanarayan Vyas of Ujjain, who considered Taurus ascendant favourable. The legal transition and the ceremonial timing were distinct. ## Coverage - businesstoday.in - news.abplive.com Tags: Constituent Assembly, India, Jawaharlal Nehru, Lord Mountbatten, Surya Narayan Vyas Canonical: https://indianopinion.org/why-indias-independence-was-marked-at-midnight-on-august-15/ License: Summary and commentary (c) Indian Opinion, reusable with attribution. Facts belong to the linked sources. Cite: https://indianopinion.org/why-indias-independence-was-marked-at-midnight-on-august-15/#story-in-brief Review state: restored archive article, accurate at time of publication, not offered to search indexes.