Ahead of the lunar eclipse due on September 7 night, the gates of the Badrinath and Kedarnath temples in Uttarakhand have been temporarily closed, adhering to age-old Hindu traditions.
The closure followed the start of what’s considered an inauspicious period, known as ‘Sutak Kaal’, which begins nine hours before a lunar eclipse.
Thus the sacred portals of Badrinath and Kedarnath — two of the four Hindu ‘dhams’ in Uttarakhand — as well as all other temples managed by the Badrinath-Kedarnath Temple Committee (BKTC), were closed to devotees at 12:58 PM on Sunday, September 7, Live Hindustan reported in Hindi.
Why are gates of temples closed for lunar eclipse?
This practice is rooted in Hindu religious texts, which deem a lunar eclipse an inauspicious time for rituals and worship. The closure is a measure to protect the sanctity of the temples from the effects of the eclipse, the report added.
The temples will reopen on Monday, September 8, during the ‘Brahma Muhurta’, a time between 4 and 4.30 am.
Devotees will be allowed to enter after special purification ceremonies.
This means the pilgrims to the hill shrines can begin their ‘darshan’ (worship) about half an hour after the gates reopen, around 5 am.
The shrines had only recently reopened, and the pilgrimage resumed, after a five-day suspension caused by heavy rain and landslides.
What is the exact time of lunar eclipse 2025?
According to the traditional Hindu calendar, the last Chandra Grahan or lunar eclipse of this year will take place on Sunday night, September 7.
The eclipse, also known as ‘Blood Moon’ in some cultures, will begin at 9.57 pm IST and continue till 1:26 am into the September 8.
The lunar eclipse will reach its middle period at 11.42 pm. Finally, the Moksha period will begin at 12.23 pm and it will recede gradually.
The ‘Blood Moon’ will be visible across India, rest of Asia, some parts of Africa, and Europe. However, the American continents will not be able to witness the event.
