108 (number)

"The number 108 is actually the average distance that the sun is in terms of its own diameter from the earth; likewise, it is also the average distance that the moon is in terms of its own diameter from the earth. It is owing to this marvelous coincidence that the angular size of the sun and the moon, viewed from the earth, is more or less identical. It is easy to compute this number. The angular measurement of the sun can be obtained quite easily during an eclipse. The angular measurement of the moon can be made on any clear full moon night. An easy check on this measurement would be to make a person hold a pole at a distance that is exactly 108 times its length and confirm that the angular measurement is the same. Nevertheless, the computation of this number would require careful observations. Note that 108 is an average and due to the ellipticity of the orbits of the earth and the moon the distances vary about 2 to 3 percent with the seasons. It is likely, there- fore, that observations did not lead to the precise number 108, but it was chosen as the true value of the distance since it is equal to 27 x 4, because of the mapping of the sky into 27 naksatras. The diameter of the sun is roughly 108 times the diameter of the earth, but it is unlikely that the Indians knew this fact."

"108 angulas make a dhanus, a measure [used] for roads and city-walls . . ."