The partial lunar eclipse will be visible in India today, during the intervening night of July 16 and 17. The Moon will enter penumbra on July 17 around 12.12 am, and then the moon will enter umbra at 1.31 am. The maximum of partial lunar eclipse 2019 will be witnessed around 3 am.
As a partial lunar eclipse or Chandra Grahan will take place in India on the intervening night of July 16 and 17, the Ganga Aarti at Varanasi’s Dashashwamedh Ghat is now scheduled to be held at 3pm, today.
Though, the ritual takes place at 7pm everyday in summer and at 6pm during winters generally. But, today it will be conducted at 3pm which is hours before the usual time.
According to the Hindu beliefs, an eclipse is considered to be inauspicious. Hence, no religious ritual can be performed for a specified period of time before, during and after it. Adding to it, temple doors are kept shut for a specific period of time.
So, keeping these beliefs in mind, the organisers of Ganga Aarti at Varanasi’s Dashashwamedh Ghat have decided to perform the ritual in the afternoon instead of the usual timing in the evening.
However, in India, the partial lunar eclipse will be seen on the wee hours of Wednesday, July 17. As per NASA, the Moon will enter penumbra on July 17 around 00.13 am IST. The partial lunar eclipse will start at 01:31 am IST and will end three hours later at 04:29 am IST. The eclipse would be seen clearly at 03:00:44 am IST.
