When a full moon appears in the sky in Ashwin month, it is called Sharad Purnima.
As per the Drik Panchang, the lunar eclipse will start at 01:06 AM and will end at 02:22 AM on October 28.
Skywatchers are in for a delight as October will witness yet another eclipse, this time a lunar eclipse. After a stunning annular solar eclipse, a partial lunar eclipse will be held on October 28. This will mark the second lunar eclipse of the year after the penumbral lunar eclipse of May 5.
Eclipses are a matter of great fascination and often have various significance. This year, the lunar eclipse will be observed on the full moon night, which is also Sharad Purnima, aka, Kojagari Purnima.
According to the Hindu calendar, Sharad Purnima will be celebrated on October 28. When a full moon appears in the night sky during the Ashwin month, it is termed as Sharad Purnima. As per the beliefs, the day is considered to be auspicious and emits rays that are considered to have some healing properties that are good for the body and soul. This year, Sharad Purnima will coincide with the Lunar Eclipse, which will occur at midnight.
As per the Drik Panchang, the lunar eclipse will start at 01:06 AM and will end at 02:22 AM. First contact with the Penumbra – 11:32 PM, Oct 28. First Contact with the Umbra is scheduled to take place at 01:06 AM on October 29. The last contact with the Umbra will take place at 02:22 AM and the last contact with Penumbra will occur at 03:55 AM.
A partial Lunar Eclipse will occur on October 28 & 29, 2023. It would be the second and the last Lunar Eclipse out of the two lunar eclipses in 2023. The partial eclipse will occur at a magnitude of just 0.12, which means 12 per cent of the Moon will be covered by the Earth’s Umbral shadow. It will be visible from the Atlantic Ocean, Indian Ocean, Africa, Asia, Europe and most of Australia and eastern parts of North America and South America. It will also be visible from
New Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Ahmedabad, Kolkata, Varanasi, Kathmandu, Tokyo, Johannesburg, Rome, Madrid, Beijing, Moscow, Paris, London, Perth and Singapore. None of this will be visible from western parts of North America and South America.
The Sutak period will begin at 02:52 PM, October 28 and will end at 02:22 AM. As per astrologer Pandit Sanjay Upadhyay, there will be no darshan of Gods and Goddesses in all temples. The sanctum sanctorum will remain closed. Devotees are expected to chant which is believed that they will be freed from the evils of the eclipse.
As per the religious beliefs, chanting and seeking penance during lunar eclipse is beneficial. During this time, sadhus, saints, ascetics and Aghori babas chant prayers on the banks of the Ganga, crematoriums and other places. There is also a lot of crowd on the ghats of Varanasi during the eclipse period.
