Surya Grahan 2020: Dos, Don'ts of Solar Eclipse and when will it be visible in India

Pic Courtesy: Pixabay (Representational use only)

New Delhi: After two lunar eclipses, this year will witness its first Solar Eclipse on June 21. When it's a total eclipse, the disk of the Sun is fully obscured by the Moon, however, in partial and annular eclipses, only part of the Sun is obscured. This one is going to be an annular eclipse. 

The Annular solar eclipse forms a ring of fire but is different from a total eclipse. It will be visible in parts of Africa including the Central African Republic, Congo, Ethiopia, Pakistan, India, and China. 

From India, annular phase will be visible in the morning from some places within a narrow corridor of the northern part of the country (parts of Rajasthan, Haryana and Uttarakhand) and it will be seen as partial solar eclipse from the rest part of the country.

India Timings:

First location to see the partial eclipse begin - 21 Jun, 09:15:58 am

First location to see the full eclipse begin - 21 Jun, 10:17:45 am

Maximum Eclipse - 21 Jun, 12:10:04 am

Last location to see the full eclipse end - 21 Jun, 14:02:17 am

Last location to see the partial eclipse end - 21 Jun, 15:04:01 am

(as per timeanddate.com)

During any type of eclipse, there are a few dos and don'ts which most follow.

Dos

In India, people usually prefer to stay indoors and not consume any food items during the time of the Grahan or eclipse. Also, Darbha grass or Tulsi leaves are put in eatables and water to prevent the ill effects of the Grahan. Many believe in taking a bath after the eclipse is over and change to new clothes. Chanting of mantras dedicated to sun god is another practice followed by many households in the country.

Especially, pregnant women are asked to stay indoors and chant the Santana Gopala Mantra.

Don'ts

Many refrain from drinking water during the time period of eclipse.

Also, the preparation of food or eating is prohibited during the Grahan. Commencing any auspicious task is avoided by many as well.

Take Note: The eclipsed Sun should not be viewed with the naked eye, even for a very short time. It will cause permanent damage of the eyes leading to blindness even when the moon covers most portion of the Sun. The safe technique to observe the solar eclipse is either by using a proper filter like aluminized Mylar, black polymer, welding glass of shade number 14 or by making a projection of Sun’s image on a whiteboard by telescope.