The annular solar eclipse on Thursday was witnessed by scores of people across Tamil Nadu as it was visible in different parts of the state. Many temples in the state were closed in line with the rituals.

The last eclipse of the year was well visible to people living in various parts of the state including Chennai, Tiruchirapalli, Udhagamandalam and Madurai even as reports reaching from Coimbatore and Erode said cloud cover in that region hampered visibility.

Also read:All you wanted to know about annular solar eclipse on December 26

Avid nature enthusiasts keenly followed the eclipse even as experts warned against viewing the natural phenomenon with bare eyes and suggested specific instruments used for this purpose.

Modi on solar eclipse

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday said that he could not witness the solar eclipse due to cloud cover in New Delhi, though he managed to have a glimpse of it in Kozhikode through live stream. He also posted his pictures trying to see the Sun.

 

“Like many Indians, I was enthusiastic about #solareclipse2019. Unfortunately, I could not see the sun due to cloud cover, but I did catch glimpses of the eclipse in Kozhikode and other parts on live stream,” he wrote on Twitter.

The Prime Minister said he enriched his knowledge on the subject by interacting with experts.

Fog blocked the view of the much-awaited annual solar eclipse in Delhi on Thursday morning. But people in the southern parts of the country were able to watch the rare celestial spectacle.

Thousands witness rare spectacle in Kerala

The solar eclipse was witnessed by thousands of people, including children and the aged, especially in northern districts of Kerala, while clouds played a dampner in some places.   The rare spectacle was first visible at Cheruvathur in Kasaragod, in the state followed by places in Kozhikode and Kannur.

 In Wayanad, many people had turned up to watch the event, but had to return disappointed as the eclipse was not fully visible due to cloudy weather conditions.

To dispel superstitious beliefs that food should not be consumed during eclipse, payasams, biscuits, juices and breakfast were distributed to those who had come to watch the celestial event.

 Various temples, including the famous Sabarimala Lord Ayyappa Temple, Padmanabha Swamy temple at Thiruvananthapuram and the Lord Krishna temple at Guruvayur were closed during the solar eclipse were opened after purification rites.

 In the districts of Kottayam, Thrissur and Thiruvananthapuram, the eclipse was said to be partial.

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