Lunar Eclipse in October 2023 to coincide with Sharad Purnima: Know date, time, rituals of Hindu festival

Lunar Eclipse to coincide with Sharad Purnima this month. Here's the date and time of Chandra Grahan and Sutak period along with rituals of the Hindu festival

A partial lunar eclipse occurs when the moon partially passes through the Earth's shadow, causing only a part of it to turn reddish-brown and luckily for the selenophiles, this rare and beautiful celestial phenomenon is slated to take place in October this year and will coincide with the Hindu festival of Sharad Purnima, also known as Kojagari Purnima or Kaumudi Purnima. Sharad Purnima usually falls on the full moon day in the Hindu lunar month of Ashwin, which typically occurs in October while the partial lunar eclipse will be seen from wherever the moon is above the horizon including Asia, Russia, Africa, the Americas, Europe, Antarctica, Oceania, Nepal, Pakistan, Mauritius, Singapore and it will be visible in the south-western sky from New Delhi.

Sharad Purnima is celebrated by the Hindu community in India to mark the brightest and fullest moon of the year and it is believed that on this night, when the moon is especially beautiful and brings radiance to the Earth, Lakshmi descends to bless devotees who observe rituals in her honour while others celebrate the eternal love of Krishna and Radha. In Gujarat, Sharad Purnima is more popularly known as Sharad Poonam while in Brij region, it is also known as Raas Purnima.

Date and time:

In India, some popular cities where partial lunar eclipse would be visible include New Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Ahmedabad, Kolkata and Varanasi. The Sutak period will begin at 02:52pm on October 28 and will end at 02:22am and as per the Drik Panchang, the lunar eclipse will start at 01:06am and will end at 02:22am.

Check date and time details as per Drik Panchang below:

Lunar Eclipse Starts - 01:06 AM

Lunar Eclipse Ends - 02:22 AM

Local Eclipse Duration - 01 Hour 16 Mins 16 Secs

First contact with the Penumbra – 11:32pm, October 28.

First contact with the Umbra is scheduled to take place at 01:06am on October 29.

Last contact with the Umbra will take place at 02:22am.

Last contact with Penumbra will occur at 03:55 AM.

Maximum of Lunar Eclipse - 01:44 AM

Duration of Partial Phase - 01 Hour 16 Mins 16 Secs

Duration of Penumbral Phase - 04 Hours 23 Mins 07 Secs

Magnitude of Lunar Eclipse - 0.12

Magnitude of Penumbral Lunar Eclipse - 1.12

Sutak Begins - 02:52 PM, Oct 28

Sutak Ends - 02:22 AM

Sutak for Kids, Old and Sick Begins - 08:52 PM, Oct 28

Sutak for Kids, Old and Sick Ends - 02:22 AM

Rituals:

It is a common tradition during Sharad Purnima for Hindus to spend the night outdoors, gazing at the full moon and participating in cultural activities like singing, dancing and offering milk, rice and special sweets to the moon as a gesture of respect and devotion. Many people, especially women, observe a fast on Sharad Purnima and stay awake all night and consume special meals or dishes made of milk and rice while kheer or sweet rice pudding is a traditional dish prepared on Sharad Purnima and left in moonlight for the whole night then, distributed as prasad among family members in the morning after it is believed to be invigorated and fortified with the moonlight.