| Astrologers
across India make predictions on effects of solar eclipse Varanasi:
Astrologers made predictions on the effects of solar eclipse based on their mythological
beliefs that solar eclipse spells misfortune and disorder. People for ages have
considered eclipses especially solar eclipse as a bad omen. The belief still prevails
among a large section of people, despite awareness of this natural phenomenon.
Eclipses have always been considered as harmful, according to the Hindu astrology.
"During solar eclipse, one must pray to their revered deity. We should chant god's
name during eclipse to avoid ill-effects of eclipse. This is century's biggest
solar eclipse. This will not only affect India, but also the entire world. This
will bring changes and affect social, financial and political sectors," said,
Kahniya Maharaj, an astrologer. For instance, pregnant women in India are advised
to take precautions during the eclipse. "Only would-be-mothers should take care
during eclipse. I will advise them to stay indoors and not to touch any sharp
objects during the eclipse. They must chant sun god's name during eclipse," said
Prasad Dikshit, an astrologer. In India, total solar eclipse on Wednesday will
be visible in Patna, Bhopal, Indore, Gaya, Varanasi, Bhavnagar, Darjeeling, Gangtok,
Sibsagar, Surat, Ujjain and Vadodara. It will be last of the kind to be visible
in the country for the next 105 years. Solar
eclipse on July 22 may be the most viewed ever Top Washington:
The total solar eclipse passing over some of the earth’s most densely populated
regions on Wednesday, July 22, 2009, may become the most viewed eclipse ever.
People across central India and in parts of Nepal, Bangladesh, Bhutan, and Myanmar
will briefly find themselves in daytime darkness before the solar eclipse proceeds
into China. Most of the best viewing opportunities are in China, where some 30
million people will be able to witness the solar eclipse in the coastal cities
of Shanghai and Hangzhou alone, according to veteran eclipse scientist Jay Pasachoff
of Williams College in Massachusetts. The eclipse will then continue east, passing
over Japan’s Ryukyu Islands before reaching its maximum duration point over the
Pacific Ocean, where the sun will be completely blocked by the moon for 6 minutes
and 39 seconds, according to NASA scientist Fred Espenak. Thousands of overseas
tourists and potentially millions of Chinese are flocking to areas along the eclipse
path, where hotels are charging higher rates, according to Chinese media reports.
The July 2009 total solar eclipse is expected to have the longest duration of
totality in the 21st century, experts say, and should give Pasachoff plenty of
data to keep him and his team busy for months. Pasachoff will see only about five
and half minutes of totality from a site in eastern China, but “once you have
five minutes-plus of totality, the extra minute that we could have seen is not
significant,” he added. Pasachoff and his team will observe the solar eclipse
from a remote hotel at an altitude of about 3,000 feet (900 meters) on Tianhuangping,
a mountain outside the Chinese city of Hangzhou. The location sits above pollution
that could obstruct a full view of the eclipse. He chose the site years in advance
so he could witness the longest totality from the Asian mainland. Teams of astronomers
from around the world have already joined him at Tianhuangping. “We brought about
half a ton of equipment and picked up an equal amount borrowed here from our Chinese
colleagues, so there is a lot to get ready,” he added. According to Rollie Anderson,
a retired actuary from St. Louis, Missouri, “The cosmic coincidence that the sun
and moon both appear in the sky as the same size, and then, on top of that, they
line up every now and again. Just the very idea of that is pretty mind-blowing.”
Maoists
issue threat to PM, Sonia, Chidambaram Top Ranchi:
The banned Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist) has issued a threat against
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Congress president Sonia Gandhi and Home Minister
P Chidambaram. The CPI-Maoist was declared a terror outfit by the Central government
last month. "Both the PM and Sonia Gandhi will meet a fate like former Prime Minister
late Rajiv Gandhi," the CPI-Maoist said in a press release issued here. The release
issued by Anup-ji, a member of the Jharkhand state central committee of the CPI-Maoist,
has also dared Chidambaram to visit Jharkhand. "Home minister P Chidambaram says
the government will end Maoism in the country. His statement will remain a dream.
It is not possible to end the Maoist movement. If Chidambaram has the courage,
he should come to Jharkhand," it said. Rajiv Gandhi was assassinated by a LTTE
woman suicide bomber at an election rally in Sriperumbudur near Chennai in May
1991. The outlawed group has also threatened Congress leaders in Jharkhand, asking
them to quit the party or face dire consequences. "The CPI-Maoist is desperate
after it was termed as a terrorist outfit. It just wants to gain mileage by issuing
such press releases," a police official involved in anti-Maoist operation in Jharkhand
said. The Maoists have called a 24-hour bandh in Jharkhand from midnight today
in protest against price rise. Death
toll reaches 10 in Sivakasi fire Top Madurai:
Three more persons who were injured in a blaze at a fireworks manufacturing
unit in Virdhunagar district died at government hospitals in Madurai on Tuesday,
taking the death toll in the incident to 10. Thirteen others are still battling
for life. Meanwhile, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi has ordered an inquiry
by the revenue divisional officer into the fire and instructions were issued to
monitor the fire safety measures installed in fireworks units in the state. Police
said while two persons died at the Sivakasi Government Hospital, one died at Government
Rajaji Hospital in Madurai on Tuesday morning. Fabulous trance More than 30 persons
sustained injuries in the fire on Monday at Namaskarichanpatti. The license of
the fireworks unit had been suspended, Karunanidhi said. He announced that a solatium
of one-lakh rupees each to the next of the kin of those killed, 50,000 rupees
to those seriously injured and 25,000 rupees who received 30 per cent burns. The
management of the factory has announced a solatium of 2 lakh rupees each to the
next of the kin of those killed besides 10,000 rupees for funeral expenses. Police
said cases under various sections of IPC and Explosives Act were registered against
owners of the factory. Govt
slaps show-cause on Continental Airlines for frisking Kalam Top New
Delhi: The Government of India has slapped a show-cause notice to the US-based
Continental Airlines for violating guidelines, in the wake of the airliner’s “unpardonable”
act of frisking of former President APJ Abdul Kalam at the Indira Gandhi International
Airport in New Delhi recently. "Not only a preliminary inquiry has been ordered
but we also have a preliminary report on the basis of which the Continental Airlines
has been issued a show-cause notice why action for wilful violation should not
be taken," Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel said the Rajya Sabha on Tuesday.
Patel was responding to the anguish expressed by the entire House, including Deputy
Chairman K Rahman Khan, over the "humiliation" meted out to the Bharat Ratna,
whom they described as the tallest figure and a national hero. Kalam was travelling
to the US about a month ago on Continental Airlines when the incident happened.
Sources at the airport said Continental Airlines employees frisked Kalam in what
is called the second line of security check. He was made to take off his shoes
and asked to wait before being frisked. The Directorate-General of the Central
Industrial Security Force (CISF) denied the security checks were conducted by
them. However, Continental Airlines defended the same saying that it was a regular
security check as the policy of the company is to frisk everyone. They also said
that there is no special rule for VIP or VVIP's. |
