No lunar eclipse in India on Holi, Chilkur Balaji temple chief priest clarifies

HYDERABAD: Chilkur Balaji temple chief priest CS Rangarajan has clarified that there will be no lunar eclipse in India on March 25, 2024, coinciding with the Hindu festival Holi. The Penumbral lunar eclipse could only be witnessed in the northern hemisphere and not India because the celestial event will occur during the daytime.

“There are numerous calls from devotees asking me whether there will be an eclipse and what care pregnant women should take. There is no lunar eclipse in India tomorrow. It will appear in America or Africa, not In India. Please celebrate the Holi festival without any fears,” Rangarajan said.

He said that the ‘Visa Balaji’ temple would be open on Monday and all rituals would be conducted as usual. He added that the temple if needed to be closed the management would announce that at least a fortnight ahead of such an event.

What is a penumbral lunar eclipse?

A penumbral lunar eclipse occurs when the moon travels through the Earth's outer shadow, the penumbra, causing the moon to appear as just a shadow. There are two parts to a shadow: the umbra, the inner and darkest part of the shadow, and the penumbra, the outer shadow.

The penumbral lunar eclipse would begin at 10:24 am in India on Monday, reaching its maximum at 12:43 pm, and conclude by 3:01 pm even though this could not be watched with the naked eye. People in North and South America, parts of Ireland, Belgium, Spain, England, South Norway, Italy, Portugal, Russia, Germany, the United States, Japan, Switzerland, Netherlands and France would be able to see the event.