Ideas for the Indian section of the 2009 solar eclipse

In India, the 2009 total solar eclipse is visible from quite a range of places. For these ideas have simply endeavoured to put together a couple of suggestions for a schedule which will include the solar eclipse. No consideration has been given to any other aspects of the eclipse. Your precise location for seeing the eclipse will depend on where/when you want to arrive/depart etc.

The cities of Bahvnagar, Surat, Indore, Murwara, Varanasi, Aurangabad and Patna all lie in the path of totality. Of these, Surat, the second largest city in Gujrat, is right on the centre line.

Most international arrivals will probably be either in Mumbai, Delhi or Kolkata (Calcutta) Airports. Given the path of eclipse, arrival in any of these airports is a practical option if you want to experience totality in India.

There are numerous possibilities for building a trip in India which incorporate the 2009 Eclipse. Of the cities mentioned previously, Patna should give the longest period of totality, although Sasaram is about half-way to Varanasi (which will also experience totality) and is slap bang on the centre line. If you're planning to arrive or depart from Kolkata this area is probably excellent to experience the eclipse from. Varanasi is a must stop if you're viewing the eclipse from here as it one of the holiest places in all of Hinduism.

For first time visitors to India arriving or departing from New Delhi must consider going to Agra, home to the world famous Taj Mahal, which was built by Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan as a mausoleum for his favorite wife, Mumtaz Mahal. The Taj Mahal is inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

Also for Delhi arrivals and departures, consider visiting the Rajastani cities of Udaipur and Jaipur.

With a Delhi/Calcutta open-jaw, you can do Agra, Lucknow, Varanasi, Sasaram and Patna between the two cities, taking in the eclipse in one of the latter three cities.

Bookmark this page

[ Delicious ] [ Digg ] [ reddit ] [ Facebook ] [ StumbleUpon ]