Eclipse - Moon over Sun, Ignorance over Knowledge

The Total Solar Eclipse timeline

There was a total solar eclipse that happened on March 29th. It was partially visible from North and East India. The path of totality started in Brazil, traversed through the Atlantic Ocean, touched North Africa and passed through Central Asia before ending at sunset in Mongolia. As is usual with me, I look for information on NASA's Eclipse portal, hosted by its GSFC center. (GSFC is located near Bethesda, MD which was very close to Herndon, VA where I was staying in 2002-03.)

Our media is very prompt in covering these events. Hordes of telecommunication equipment reach the farthest places where people assemble for "eclipse related" activity. Now, it is heartening to see how people assemble at Planetariums or in open areas with appropriate equipment to watch the celestial spectacle. Children and adults alike look at the heavens in wonderment as the little Moon obscures the much bigger Sun in a play of light and shadows. And a little geometry and physics thrown in. :-)

What is, however, disheartening to see is the superstitions associated with such celestial events and people's actions during these events. Hordes descend towards the nearest water body to take bath and wash away their sins. Many pack themselves indoors and avoid any open exposure. Most do not eat during the eclipse - fearing indigestion. Many perform homams and pujas to ward away the evil effects of an eclipse in their horoscope. And there are many other idiosyncrasies associated with eclipses that really drive me nuts.

The media even interviewed some people in connection with the eclipse. The choice of people whom they choose to interview is strongly questionable. They love to create a mania, and their choice is directed solely towards that. I was watching some news channels where they showed a pundit who recited a mantra to ward off evils of eclipse. A mantra to ward off evils? One family said they came 200 kilometers from their home to Kurukshetra to bathe in the river there so that goodness can prevail over their families and homes. Yet another rural Indian said he had come to bathe in the river so that the Gods be appeased and his horoscope be blessed with good planetary positions. I do not understand how taking bath in a river will alter the planetary positions of one's horoscope.

It is this ignorance that is killing us and keeping us from progressing in a science and reason driven world. I agree that there are times when reason deserts us. Fine, there would be one day when reason dawns over that too. But that does not mean reason and science have been defeated. We talk about India shining, India being an IT major, India spearheading the world in the 21st century, India as an emerging super-power... and yet we do not leave these age old superstitions. How can we expect the nation to progress when such retarding beliefs plague our culture?

Asato Ma Sadgamaya,
Tamaso Ma Jyotirgamaya

which means...

From Untruth, lead me towards Truth
From Darkness, lead me towards Light

We have to start shedding these illogical darknesses and move towards enlightenment. These eclipses should only occur when the Moon obscures the Sun. Not when superstition obscures reason and ignorance obscures knowledge.