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3 sadhus die in mela area Kurukshetra, October 2 As many as 16 motor boats, 20 divers and as many swimmers had been deployed to save pilgrims from drowning and locate drowned pilgrims. At least three devotees were drowned during the last solar eclipse fair in 2003. Meanwhile, three sadhus died during the past 24 hours here. While two of them died due to different ailments, one sadhu committed suicide by hanging himself from a tree on the KDB road. None of the three deceased sadhus could be identified. The DSP (HQ) Mr J.S. Lamba, confirmed that the aged sadhu committed suicide last night. His body was found hanging from a tree in the wee hours today. Besides, police sources said that a sadhu died at Civil Hospital yesterday, while another sadhu died near Brahmsarovar here today reportedly due to some ailment. Around four lakh devotees from different parts of the country, including some foreigners, have already reached Kurukshetra to take holy dip during the solar eclipse. Over 10 lakh pilgrims are expected to take the holy dip in Brahmsarovar and Sanhit sarovar in Kurukshetra tomorrow. Special ghats will be provided for women to take the holy dip. According to astrologers, the solar eclipse has its special importance as it is occurring after more than a century on Somavati Amavashya. It is said that the people who will bathe during this period will acquire the fruits of “Ashav Megh Yajna” and ‘Moksha’ as well. The solar eclipse will partially be visible in some parts of Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Gujarat and Orissa. The solar eclipse will also be visible abroad in Kenya, Sudan, Algeria, Iceland, Eastern Greenland, Spain and European countries. The Deputy Commissioner, Mr K.K. Gupta, said that the district administration had made elaborate arrangements for the visiting pilgrims. The entire mela area had been divided into 12 sectors. Each sector would be supervised by a Duty Magistrate. The Sub Divisional Magistrate, Thanesar, Mr S.B. Lohiya, would be the Mela Administrator, while the District Development and Panchayat Officer, Mr A.L. Bhathla, would be the Mela Officer. Six special trains are being run from Delhi to Kurukshetra on Sunday and Monday and 250 buses would ply in Haryana on different routes for the pilgrims. The administration has made arrangements for the first time of insurance cover for all visiting pilgrims. The insurance cover for each pilgrim will be to the tune of Rs one lakh. The state government will bear all expenses of the insurance cover. |
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Solar eclipse at 4.12 p.m.
New Delhi, October 2 The general visibility of the eclipse will cover the Eastern Greenland, Iceland, Europe (including the British Isles), Africa except the Southern tip, and Western Asia including India. In India, the partial eclipse will begin at 4.12 p.m. and end at 6.03 p.m. Only 27 per cent of the sun’s diameter would be covered in Mumbai when the eclipse is at its greatest, according to Mumbai-based Nehru Planetarium Director Piyush Pandey. Even as the scientists will have a visual feast tomorrow, superstitions have always ruled the roost at the time of celestial eclipses. But the only precaution that is advised is that people should not look directly at the Sun as its sharp rays can damage the retina. According to report from Rajkot, a campaign is being held all over the country when the solar eclipse occurs tomorrow, in a programme being organised by the Bharat Jan Vigyan Jatha, an organisation committed to promoting scientific temper in the country. Superstitions surrounding eclipses include the effect on pregnant women to eating cooked food that remains unused during eclipse. In Pondicherry, the Pondicherry Science Forum (PSF) warned the people not to view the solar eclipse with naked eye and advised use of dark negatives. Globally, the eclipse will begin at 1.16 p.m. tomorrow after when the shadow of the moon first touches the earth at local sunrise at a point in the Atlantic Ocean near Azores (Port) Island at latitude 41.08 North and longitude 23.05 West. The eclipse ends at 6.58 p.m. when the shadow of moon finally leaves the earth at local sunset at a point in the Indian Ocean near Mauritius at latitude 16.41 South and longitude 66.31 East. Explaining the phenomenon earlier this week, Nehru Planetarium Director Piyush Pandey said the moon’s orbit around the earth is elliptical and not a perfect circle because of which the moon’s distance from earth varies every month in a regular cycle. When the moon is closest to the earth, it called perigee and when farthest, it is said to be at apogee. At apogee, the moon would appear a little smaller than at perigee. This behaviour plays an important role in deciding the nature of a solar eclipse. A solar eclipse occurs when the moon passes in front of the sun and obscures it totally or partially, Mr Pandey explained. This configuration can occur only on a new moon day when the sun, moon and earth are on a single line with the moon in the middle. An annular (shaped like a ring or annulus) eclipse occurs when the moon’s centre passes in front of the sun’s centre while the moon is near apogee. The moon’s angular diameter is then smaller than that of the sun with the result that a ring of the sun can be seen around the moon, Mr Pandey explained. — UNI
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