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Rakshabandhan 2026 to coincide with partial lunar eclipse
The festival of Rakshabandhan on August 28, 2026, will coincide with the year's second and final partial lunar eclipse. According to Aaj Tak, the eclipse will begin at 8:04 AM Indian time,…
The festival of Rakshabandhan on August 28, 2026, will coincide with the year's second and final partial lunar eclipse. According to Aaj Tak, the eclipse will begin at 8:04 AM Indian time, peak around 9:42 AM, and end by 12:31 PM. However, the celestial event will not be visible in India.
Since the eclipse is not visible in the country, the sutak kaal, the nine-hour inauspicious period before an eclipse, will not apply. Religious authorities say sisters can tie rakhis on their brothers' wrists without restriction, though they should avoid the inauspicious Bhadra Kaal and Rahu Kaal as per the panchang. The eclipse will occur in the Kumbha rashi and Shathabhisha or Dhanishtha nakshatra.
The eclipse will be visible in Europe, West Asia, Africa, North and South America, parts of the Pacific, Atlantic and Indian Oceans, and Antarctica. It will be a partial lunar eclipse.
Indian Opinion Analysis
Eclipses coinciding with major festivals are rare and often cause confusion about rituals. The last time Rakshabandhan fell near a lunar eclipse was in 2018, when a total eclipse was visible in India and sutak was observed. This time, the key difference is the eclipse's invisibility in India, which nullifies the sutak period entirely. Astrologers advise checking the local panchang for Bhadra Kaal timings on the day, as that remains a consideration. The next such overlap of a festival and an eclipse visible in India will occur in 2028.
Source: aajtak.in
This story was synthesised by AI from the source linked above.
