Well, it was the event of the century, not to be surpassed until 2132. And we certainly won't be alive then. The longest solar eclipse that lasted 6 minutes and 39 seconds was visible in most of SE Asia and India. In Bangalore, cloudy skies dampened the entire experience, not that I was out with my solar glasses or anything. I was peacefully driving to my yoga class, not looking up at the sky to damage the little vision I have and thereafter, dutifully doing my surya- namaskars. After all, it was a solar event and an apt occasion to pay homage to it. That said, it was sad that the many who braved the early morning[ in terms of waking up] were left disappointed.
What was also sad were folks in Taregna including foreign tourists who thronged the NASA-proclaimed-best-place-to-view-the-eclipse town and were left literally high and dry. Even more sadder were parents in Gulbarga who buried their challenged children neck deep in soil and exposed them to the sun during the eclipse, many of them under 2 years of age. Many media channels flashed those images constantly, dismssing it all as blind superstition and yet, no one taking it forward to verify it scientifically. That said, the line of more such parents doing this will only increase during the next solar eclipse.
Inspite of all the hiccups, the solar eclipse turned out to be one big national event, if TV coverage was anything to go by. Being able to witness a once in a century occurence seemed to have fired the spirit in everyone. Maybe a covert need to be part of something beyond one's own posterity, a part of eternity, a part of a larger concept. The eclipse chasers who took the Rs 80k flight were even more of a surprise and many of them, rookies in the area. I tell you it takes all sorts.
But all in all, a grand affair, maybe not so much in actuality in India but certainly in essence. And yes, for me too, it was an unbelievable experience. So what if I saw it on the net and on TV!
