Arunachala Girivalam August 2017—Partial Lunar Eclipse

A reader has been in touch to check timings for the August 2017, Arunachala Girivalam. In response I mentioned full moon girivalam is performed at anytime during the 24 hour period that the moon is at its fullest viewed from India. My own information on Arunachala Grace lists the August timings as below:-

Timings on the Arunachala Grace Chart

However as a partial lunar eclipse falls during the August Full Moon, I am posting the slightly different timings that appear on the Arunachaleswarar Temple official website. See below:-

Timings on Arunachaleswarar Temple Chart

I have been in touch with people connected to the Temple regarding their arrangements this coming Full Moon and have been informed that this month because of the Partial Eclipse, no-one really knows how the crowd build up is going to work.

In this regard Temple arrangements for the Full Moon will start on Saturday and run all the way to Monday—because the full moon falls in the weekend and because of the partial eclipse. To further complicate matters, some devotees feel performing girivalam during the eclipse would be inauspicious. So that also will skew the timings of the big crowd build-up.

Without any further over-thinking, suggest that devotees just come and have a blessed and inspirational Arunachala Girivalam.

Full Moon

Partial lunar eclipse visible from Arunachala on August 7 

A partial eclipse of the Moon (lunar eclipse) will occur on August 7 night and it will be visible from all places of India. The eclipse will begin from 10:52 pm and will continue up to 12:49 am on August 8. 

"The entire partial eclipse will be visible from central and east Africa, central Russia, China, India, the Far East and most of Australia", said the ministry of earth sciences in a statement. 

It is said the next eclipse of the Moon which will be a total lunar eclipse, will occur on January 31 next year. It will also be visible from India. 

A partial lunar eclipse occurs when the Earth comes between the Sun and the Moon but these three celestial bodies do not fall in straight line in space. "Only a small fraction of the Moon will come under the Earth's shadow at maximum eclipse". 

85 Abandoned Animals Rescued by Arunachala Animal Sanctuary

In the first few days of August, 2017— 85 animals abandoned in dire conditions in a village 75 kms from Tiruvannamalai were rescued by the Arunachala Sanctuary. 

“Abandoned by their owners, 85 animals that were left to starve for several days found a new home after being rescued by members of Arunachala Animal Sanctuary and Rescue Shelter in Tiruvannamalai.” 

After discussions and support from Tiruvannamalai Municipality, a contingent from the Arunachala Sanctuary arrived at the village with a flotilla of transport vehicles and rescued the animals. 

To learn more about the whole incident and details of how you can help, please refer to the below PDF report from Leslie Robinson of the Arunachala Sanctuary.