City temples shut doors during lunar eclipse

On the night of September 7-8, temples across Delhi suspended their regular rituals in observance of the total lunar eclipse, or Chandra Grahan. The celestial event, visible across India, prompted traditional practices and temporary temple closures in the Capital.

At Birla Mandir, Pandit Lal Chand Sharma highlighted the significance of the Sutak period—a time of ritual restrictions—which began at 12.58 pm. He advised devotees to complete rituals by 12.30 pm and to refrain from eating or drinking during the eclipse, with exemptions for children, the elderly and the unwell.

Similar practices were observed in other temples across the city. Devotees engaged in chanting mantras and meditation and abstained from consuming food during the eclipse hours. Temples reopened after the eclipse following purification rituals.

The lunar eclipse coincided with Pitru Paksha Purnima, a day dedicated to honouring ancestors, adding further spiritual significance to the event. Devotees performed rituals for their forebears, in line with traditional practices associated with eclipses.

Priest Mahendra Nath noted that the eclipse fell in the Aquarius zodiac sign, with the strongest influence on those born under it. He recommended chanting the Mahamrityunjaya mantra to counter possible health effects. He added that the eclipse would be favourable for Aries, Scorpio and Sagittarius, but adverse for other zodiac signs.

According to OP Gupta, Senior Planetarium Engineer at Nehru Planetarium, the lunar eclipse would last for 48 minutes. Speaking to ANI, he said, “In Delhi, the penumbral phase (initial phase) will start at 8.58 pm. The partial eclipse will begin at around 9.57 pm. It will peak at around 11.48 pm. Its duration will be a little more than 48 minutes.” This was the second lunar eclipse of 2025; the first took place in March.

Astronomically, a lunar eclipse occurs when the Earth comes between the Sun and the Moon, casting its shadow on the latter. During a total lunar eclipse, the Moon appears reddish due to sunlight scattering through the Earth’s atmosphere, a phenomenon known as Rayleigh scattering.

In line with traditional beliefs, devotees took ritual baths before and after the eclipse, thought to cleanse negative energies.