खण्डग्रास सूर्यग्रहण (Partial Solar Eclipse) : Tue, 4 Jan 2011

When the gods and the demons churned the milky ocean in days of yore, nectar came out of it. Lord Vishnu assumed the form of Mohini, a charming lady, deluded the demons and distributed the nectar only among the gods. But Rahu had disguised himself as a god. The sun and the moon pointed this out to Mohini who immediately slashed off the demon’s head. Since the nectar had by then already reached up to the neck, he did not die. Thus the head came to be known as Rahu and the body as Ketu. To avenge this betrayal, Rahu and Ketu periodically eclipse the sun and the moon.

Astronomically speaking, when the sun, the moon and the earth are all in line, with the moon or the earth at the centre, a solar or lunar eclipse takes place respectively.

At the time of the eclipse, people bathe in the sacred rivers. They do charitable acts. They give cows, money and gold. The day after the eclipse they feed the poor, the Brahmins and the
Sadhus. After the eclipse they clean their houses, vessels, etc., and take a bath before they start cooking.

One should not take food during the eclipse. When the eclipse begins the food should by then have been digested. One should take food only after seeing the sun or the moon free from the eclipse. When the clear sun or the moon is not seen before sunset or sunrise, in the case of the solar and lunar eclipse respectively, food can be taken only after the sun or the moon is seen the next day.

Pregnant women should not see the sun or the moon during the time of the eclipse. If they do the child born may have some kind of defect. He may be born deaf, dumb or blind.  गर्भवती महिलाओं को ग्रहणकाल में सब्ज़ी काटना, पापड सेंकनादि उत्तेजित कार्यों से परहेज़ करना चाहिए । Householders are forbidden from sexual intercourse on the day of the eclipse, for the same reason.

Those who do Japa at the time of the eclipse derive great benefits. The effect of Japa and Sankirtan during the eclipse contributes towards relieving the suffering of humanity and also of the planets. These people receive the blessings of the gods.

खण्डग्रास सूर्यग्रहण (Khandgrass Surya Grahan)

January 4, 2011 (15.12 IST to 15.52 IST)

आंशिक सूर्य ग्रहण का यह दृश्य कच्च्छ, राजस्थान, हरियाणा, उत्तर प्रदेश, दिल्ली, पंजाब, उत्तराखंड, हिमाचल, जम्मू-कश्मीर में देखा जा सकेगा। Following major cities will witness partial solar eclipse of 2011 – Nainital, Almora, Moradabad, Muzaffarnagar, Rampur, Alwar, Jaipur, Sikar, Ajmer, Marwar, Jalore, Barmer, Mount Abu, Bhuj and Dwarka.

ग्रहण का सूतक : SUTAK TIME

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