Varanasi/Hyderabad, Oct 10 (ANI): Hundreds of Hindu devotees in the temple town of Varanasi took a holy dip in river Ganges on the occasion of the lunar eclipse on October 08 to cleanse their souls and achieve salvation. According to belief, bathing in the holy water on the occasion of the eclipse helps in washing away of the sins of the people. As per Hindu tradition, an eclipse occurs because a demon named Rahu occasionally gobbles up the sun or the moon before letting them off after a certain period. This period is considered very ominous by devout Hindus and prayers and chants are performed by them and then once the eclipse is over, they bathe or take a holy dip in sacred rivers, like the Ganges. The event was a stunning one as the moon appeared copper to deep red. This was due to the rays of the Sun, refracted by the Earth's atmosphere. People in India's eastern Kolkata, too, got a chance to get a glimpse of the spectacular celestial event. Star lovers in North America, Australia, western South America and parts of eastern Asia were able to see the spectacle.
