Mahabharatha War is an event of tremendous religious and traditional significance to all Hindus and an important historical event in Indian and World history.
To this day, the date of the event remains controversial and various dates from 5561 BCE to 738 BCE have been proposed, by using various Historical, Archaeoastronomical, Scriptural and Traditional arguments.
Conventional Hindu traditionalists largely follow Aryabhatta and date the war at 3102 BCE.
We still don't have a definitive answer for this important event. And different answers making different arguments are spread all over the internet. So this question is a humble attempt to consolidate available different opinions and facts in one place, as a one stop source for all the different Mahabharatha date facts and arguments for anyone interested.
Note: Please follow these guidelines.
Write an answer presenting only one date, or a short range of years. Don't answer defending multiple dates ranging over a millennium.
Express clearly why you think that the date is most probable and supplement your answer amply with links, and where ever traditional verses are quoted, make sure you give the Chapter and Verse number, or appropriate link to the same.
If there are many many facts supporting for your date or if the answer is getting too huge, mention only the important facts and outsource the other arguments with links to the source.
Edit: Many people who have marked this question as a duplicate of another question. Please understand that even though the question is similar in nature the other question is way too general and asks
Has anyone made a thorough research of the Mahabharata and figured out when this war actually took place with exact astronomical evidence? Are there dates in any other text for the Mahabharata war?
Answer can be: Yes, PV Holey, Dr Vartak, Manish Pandit and Nilesh Oak have done research. It occurred 3500+ years ago. Other text like Puranas and Shirmad Bhagavagtham have some references for Mahabharata War.
While this answer can be for that question, this would be no way acceptable as an answer to this question, I am asking for the exact date and why DO YOU think its correct with appropriate reasons and more extensive reasons outsourced with sources.
Compare this answer which has 7 upvotes as of now. I pointed out some inconsistencies to which the answerer said
@VARUN.NRAO, I said thereabouts, not exactly 3140 B.C. My aim is to establish the antiquity atleast and around 3100+ years ago, For exact dates, probably need to research further
This would be not at all acceptable in my answer as it does not meet the criteria set by me. If this is the wrong answer to the other question why does it have 7 votes? Do not mark this as a duplicate just based on similarity.
Also read : How is this Hinduism?
