Solar eclipse brings back the memories of my childhood. I do not remember much though… it must have been in the late 80’s that it was visible and was to be total Solar eclipse. That was the time I got introduced and also a
ttracted to this celestial event which takes place due to the specific positions of the Sun and the Moon. It was always a story for these kind of celestial events told by the grandparents and we believed them often than not.
In the earlier days people used to donate many a things after the eclipse in
India. Especially, because the occurrence of eclipse meant that a mythological demon called Rahu would d
evour the Sun god and hence the star disappeared for some time. Why did the demon let go the sun god after some time is however not known!! Though we were put up in
Mumbai, after every small or big Solar or Lunar
eclipse , beggars would come out asking for alms and people would donate voluntarily. There was no question of not believing the mythology!
It was only during that first time that dad explained us the actual phenomenon with dra
wings and it took me by surprise. I desperately wanted to see it… but it was not be visible from
Mumbai. Even then there were solar protective sun glasses being sold in the markets and I had insisted we buy it. May be it was a Sunday, or I had missed my school, my sister and I were at home. The television had for the first time in my memory had a whole day programme, with flashes of the eclipse taking place.
It is now known that a Solar eclipse occurs when the moon passes between Earth and Sun. If the moon's shadow happens to fall upon Earth's surface at that time, then we see some portion of the Sun's disk covered or 'eclipsed' by the Moon. The partial and the total eclipses depend on the distance between the earth and moon.
The next Total Solar eclipse to be visible from
India was about 15 years ago in 1995 and many places in
India were to witness that. This time I had to see it and luckily enough, it was to be visible nearby from
Delhi. We hunted for the Solar glasses in
Delhi but they were not to be found.
Delhi seemed to be most apathetic towards the event. At the same time there was exposure boom about the event and its accessories in
Mumbai and
Kolkata.
We hit the road late in the night to watch the event which was supposed to take place early in the morning. It was the time just after the
festival of
Diwali, hence the weather was pleasantly ch
illy. We head straight on to
Fatehpur Sikri, near to
Agra, as that was the place we decided to view it from. The wait was annoying… but when the event took place… it was the most beautiful site that I could think of!
The time has come once more and I still long to witness that once in a lifetime event. This time too it shall be viewed early in the morning. The nearest place to
Delhi for this is
Bhopal and the other is
Varanasi. However this time the time – span is 3 minutes and due to the rainy season, people are doubtful of its viewing. But many cities in
India shall be able to witness this celestial event on 22 July 2009.
Baroda,
Indore,
Gaya, and then going into
north east India with
Dibrugarh and then in to
China, it will be viewed in huge number.
China will have the maximum siting time of about 5 minutes and the time will be perfect, during noon.
It should be a great site watching it from the
Ganges, and you may also see the hindu rituals that take place after the eclipse is over.
Do not miss this if possible. For the accessories you are sure to found in any of the planetariums in your city. The importance is that this shall be probably the last Total Solar eclipse that you can view and that too falling in the International year of Astronomy and 400th anniversary year of the telescope founded by Galileo.
Feluccas are the traditional sailboats used for sailing along the Nile in Egypt.This is a type of lateen sail boat that carries passengers along the River Nile.It is a wide riverboat with a flat, open deck covered with soft mattresses and has a canopy which provide shade from the sun. The felucca has remained, over the centuries, the primary transportation of the Nile. Egypt is blessed with southerly wind that pushes sailboats upriver, while allowing them to return on its current downstream. A large tiller is used for steering and you can also find a large amount of storage space under the deck.The crew members provide you with Nubian foods and can have Breakfast, lunch and dinner while enjoying the true beauty of Nile.You can also get flavours of Egyptian tea and Nubian cake.These Feluccas are run by locals called Nubians and the ships were also filled with Nubia
n culture, with all the meals prepared on the ship by the captains.We watch rural Egyptian life while passing down the Nile.Whether you’re looking for something cultural, or just a relaxing time on the water, consider a felucca ride in Egypt. All the historical and cultural destinations are located along the banks of the Nile River and going on a sight-seeing by the felucca is an experience worth cherishing. Tourist can move leisurely across the water while viewing the papyrus, Palmyra, quaint hamlets ,various birds, cattle and fishermen. During evening you can spend time watching the magn
ificent Egyptian sunsets,and take a good sleep under the stars. The most romantic time is the evening time ,when you can relaxed with your loved ones while enjoying the sunset.This is the perfect short trip if you want to enjoy the best of Egypt`s adventure Tour. Felucca rides can be enjoyed in towns like Cairo,Luxor,Aswan etc where there are easy to find the main riverfront streets.Feluccas are interesting because they sail throughout the waters in the heart of Cairo and the scenery become nice during evening.A felucca sail provide you with a glimpse of people,culture and lifestyles of Egypt which makes Egypt one of the most fascinating country.
