Devotees take a holy dip in the Ganges after witnessing the total lunar eclipse, a rare celestial event that painted the night sky red (Photo: Pinterest)
On 8 September 2025 in the early hours of Monday saw a spiritual devotion and scientific curiosity blend on the ghats of Varanasi where masses took a holy dip in the Ganges after the total lunar eclipse and which mesmerized viewers across India the night before.
Lunar Eclipse beginning at 8:58 PM and continuing until 2:25 AM, this eclipse cast its spell all over the nation. Within the walls of Varanasi which is deeply rooted in spiritual tradition and the ceremony marked an early morning prayer and ritual bathing in the holy river this symbolic purificatory act is often observed after such celestial events.
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Believers are of the conviction that these celestial phenomena above them may influence spiritual energies and invoke a space of cleansing and devotion.
A total lunar eclipse occurs when Earth positions itself directly in between the Sun and the Moon placing its shadow on the lunar surface. This can only happen during a full moon but more specifically when the moon is close to a lunar node, the point on where its orbit intersects the Earth's orbital plane.
As sunlight bends through Earth's atmosphere and it casts reddish hues on the surface of the moon leading to its nickname "Blood Moon".
In Bengaluru, sky watchers made their way to the Indian Institute of Astrophysics with early arrivals like Sahana waiting in eagerness for the Moon to turn fully. "It had a faint grey hue in the beginning," she recalled, "but I stayed up to see the culmination of the deep red glow. Unforgettable."
Delhi was marked by enthusiastic crowds at the Nehru Planetarium; all set against a hazy sky threatening further visibility. "Even if we can't see it very clearly, being here feels special," sighed one guest.
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In Kolkata, crowds of students and budding astronomers all trooped to Paschim Banga Vigyan Mancha, Jadavpur. Including Riya Bhattacharjee, this was indeed the first encounter with such a phenomenon. "Reading it doesn't match viewing it live," she said. "I will remember the Blood Moon all my life."
Sandip Chakraborti, an astrophysicist reminded viewers of the rareness of these phenomena. "This is a line alignment which has occurred in 2018 and will take place again at the end of 2028," he said.
The lunar eclipse brought a rare moment of collective reflection to Indians on the mystery of the worlds beyond them and their place alongside it. Above all means, be it faith, science or mere wonder.
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