Bhubaneswar: In a rare celestial event, a total lunar eclipse will be visible across Odisha as well as other parts of the country on September 7, coinciding with Bhadrapada Purnima.
As per experts, the rare ‘Chandra Grahan’ will be clearly visible in cities such as Cuttack, Bhubaneswar, Puri, Jajpur, Berhampur, Sambalpur, and Rourkela in Odisha.
Khadiratna Panjika has said that the partial phase will begin at 9.57 pm, followed by the total phase starting at 11.01 pm. The peak, or middle phase, will take place at 11.42 pm, and the total eclipse will end at 12.23 am (Sept 8).
Astrologers have described this as a rare cosmic alignment, as the last such eclipse during Bhadrapada Purnima was observed in 2006, and the next one is slated to take place after 139 years, on September 30, 2164.
Traditional practices associated with the eclipse include restrictions on food consumption and rituals. Astrologers have advised people to avoid meals and religious ceremonies starting from 12:57 pm on Sunday, around nine hours before the eclipse begins, until it ends at 1:27 am. It can be relaxed for children, the elderly, and the sick.
Ritual baths and worship are recommended during the Brahma Muhurta (early hours before sunrise) after the end of the eclipse, while cooking and consumption of food can be taken up after sunrise on September 8.
