On the the morning of July 22, 2009, the sun rose with a dark mark. The blazing sun was gradually enveloped by a dark mark. Moments before complete darkness, there was an appearance of a spectacular diamond ring. Suddenly, there was a complete darkness – signifying a total solar eclipse.

Daytime darkness. This was what people experienced across India, Bhutan and China and other parts of the world. The solar eclipse on July 22, 2009 was one of its kind,  as it was the longest solar eclipse of the 21st century. It  lasted for 6 minutes 39 seconds –  and would be surpassed only on June 13, 2132.

A solar eclipse is caused when the moon moves in between the sun and the earth – leaving the earth in total darkness. The eclipse on July 22, 2009 started on Western Coast of India before moving across Nepal, Bangladesh, Myanmar and China.

In India, thousands of devotees gathered in Varanasi to immerse themselves in the Ganges – India’s holiest river. In fact, there was a stampede in Varanasi due to the thronging of the devotees. If you were in Varanasi,  loud chants of ‘hare ram, hare ram’ could be heard during the eclipse. Varanasi was one of the places where solar eclipse was clearly seen. People in Teragna were not so lucky as the clouds prevented from seeing this spectacular event.

The total solar eclipse was between 6:20 a.m. to 6.25 a.m. where the moon totally obscured the sun, resulting in complete darkness.

Astrologers in India predict that this event would mark the rise in religious and communal clashes in India, China and Southeast Asia. Turmoil is awaiting the world after the eclipse, they say. However, astronomers and scientists dismiss these as superstitious beliefs. They feel that In order to promote their business, astrologers are voicing such opinions.