July 22nd 2009 total solar eclipse!!!

babamarco

Surprisingly there are plenty of decent hotel rooms to be had, i called several this morning and all had vacancies. I have decided to stay at the hotel Sonmony which is located at Harishchandra Ghat, it looks cheap and cheerful with great views of the river and ghats. Rooms from rs 250 per night and rs 600 for ac.

Eastern Mind

There is quite a lot of information on this elsewhere on line. My little bit of research showed that in 1980, during an eclipse, many trains and buses were halted as the operators felt they had to go inside. Then in 1995, the impact was less. One can only surmise that more people were dropping the superstition. But yes if it were me, I'd do everything a day ahead just in case, as, well ... it's India ... and one never knows. Many Hindus also fast so I suppose its also possible to find some restaurants closed. Only time will tell I guess.

PS: I only know of this as one day here in Canada a few years back, I was going to the local temple, only to find it shut.

machadinha

Really? I witnessed the one in Holland about a decade ago (probably your '99 then?); didn't do much for me at all. Was over in a jiffy too; nor did all the birds stop singing and go nesting & nature envelop itself in silence or whatever. We had a pretty clear sky too, come to think of it; no, of course it doesn't become night or something, let alone will you see the stars. More like a (indeed very) brief sort of half-attempt at dusk. (There's still plenty of light passing by the moon I guess.)

Oh well. To each their own, of course (Yes, yes, I have friends who chase them & get quite enthusiastic about it.)

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pavinder

Sounds reasonable indeed. As one would imagine with a couple of months until the event there is still plenty of accommodation available.

My query was more along the lines of "if I arrive one day before the eclipse will I likely be able to find accommodation then?".
I always prefer to arrive at my destination and then wander down the streets checking guest houses out, rather than booking in advance from the limited number available online without having yet seen it.

myjus1id

Hello all...

I just happened to visit Kurukshetra- the immortal Banyan Tree, Brahma Sarovar... and other spiritual places in Kurukshetra...
The temple Pandit out there says that on 22nd July Solar Eclipse there will be more than 5 lakh people who will bathe in the Brahma Sarovar.

I am planning to visit this place as it will solve double purpose- solar eclipse as well as spiritual purpose bathing in Brahma Sarovar...

Attached is/are a picture(s) of the same place... [not sure if pics will upload]

Attached Thumbnails

         

Naveen Balakrishna

We are a group of Amateur Astronomers from Bangalore. 11 of us from Association of Bangalore Amateur Astronomers (ABAA) from Bangalore City are going to PATNA. It is right in the center line of Totality. If we do not get Accommodation the next bet will be GAYA.

Varanasi is also a good option, but it might be crowded.

Eastern India like Indore or Bhopal is not suitable as the elevation will be very low. Fingers crossed as it's Monsoon time.
Western India is prone to floods.

you can contact us via abaa.org@gmail.com.

sriram_world

Why nobody is choosing Surat.. Watching a solar eclipse during sunrise would be an awesome experience. is it not ?

Also,Surat & gulf of kambhay..will relatively be less affected by Monsoon..compared to gangetic plains and west bengal..

I don't think..I have the bandwidth to go and enjoy the eclipse..eventhough it is happening in india, I would really appreciate..if you guys share the photos and any IMer in Surat takes a picture perfect solar eclipsed Sunrise..

Sriram.B

MonkeyBoy4u

Whats this hype of this being the last solar eclipse for the next 105 years.

If I am not wrong the next total eclipse will be visible in India after 105 years ?

Also whats the final choice for everyone is it Varanasi ?

Naveen would you like to share some safety tips for the eyes during a solar eclipse ?

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And that has made all the difference

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MonkeyBoy4u

Why isn't any one choosing Bhopal ?

gabriji

who knows the exact timing for the eclipse (Patna and Varanasi)?
I'm leaving in Bombay: perfect moonson moment to shout against fog and clouds.
Same for Surat. I guess.. avoid west coast.
Btw, see you in Varanasi, prob on the roof of some guest house!
Looking forward to find a cool spot!!!
Good luck to everyone!

Gabriji

pavinder

Check this link - shows why it didn't do much for you - in Holland it was only a partial eclipse (maybe 93%) so as you say, no night time! Even a small fraction of 1% makes all the difference.

If you're in the path of totality it's an unfathomably different experience.

http://eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov/SEgoogl...11Tgoogle.html

Hope you can experience the shadow sometime....

federica

I've seen the eclipse of 1999, and I was in the 100% zone. It was a great experience, but I couldn't see stars. It was more like very dark clouds coming, before a big thunderstorm.

Wildhorse

I was in the zone of totality (is that what it's called) in 1999. It was unfortunatly cloudy where I was and I didn't see the sun but the birds did stop singing, it did become totally silent (I was in a village, i.e. countryside, no traffic, etc.), it did become totally dark - it was the experience of a lifetime and I wish I could see the eclipse in July. Alas... not to be.

federica

Yes, my experience was the same. Luckily I was in a place with almost no clouds, somewhere outside of town in the fields.

It was a true "stop" of nature for a short moment, and I'd love to see it again.

I heard for the Aborigines a solar eclipse is considered to be a moment of refreshment, a new start. Somehow I felt like this.

bazmati

That's interesting considering there is an eclipse in 2012 which goes through their ancient sacred land - just a few weeks before the end of the mayan calendar. New beginnings!

I am new to this site but have heaps of questions that I hope some of you can answer!
I arrive in Varanasi (for the first time) on 21st july and wondered if anyone could recommend a place to stay - one with a roof top looking out to sunrise/eclipse ??
I am travelling with my little toddler and the reality that being by the ghats for sunrise might not be the shanti experience I've been picturing - being surrounded by millions of people could be a little overwhelming for both of us at such an intense time so I'm considering the possibility of a roof top somewhere.
So, basically which roof tops offer the best viewing opportunties for the sunrise/eclipse (and are safe!)
Or what about Sarnath? Is this possibly a good viewing spot? With less people so I don't have to worry about losing my little one in the crowds?
It's so hard to imagine - i am in Daramkot right now - one of the most peaceful places on earth so the idea of being squashed in a crowd of a million people is making me short of breath! Ha!
Is this likely or am I totally over-reacting?
Thank you so much!