Total Solar Eclipse

• TypeTotal Solar Eclipse (Surya Grahan)
• DateWednesday, 12 August 2026
• Sutak begins2026-08-12 09:04 IST
• Node axisKetu
• Sign · nakshatraCancer · Ashlesha
• Visible from IndiaNo

What this is

A grahan (eclipse) is one of the most significant moments in the tradition — not for fear, but for stillness. This total solar eclipse falls with the luminary near Ketu, in Cancer (Ashlesha nakshatra).

Sutak timing

The Sutak period — the pause before and during the eclipse — begins 2026-08-12 09:04 IST (twelve hours before a solar eclipse). Worship, cooking, and new beginnings give way to japa, a cleansing bath, and quiet giving. This eclipse is not visible from India, so the tradition holds the Sutak does not bind here — but it is still a fine window to keep quietly.

How to hold it

Taught calmly: the shadow passes and the light returns. The old myth pictures Rahu and Ketu briefly catching the sun or moon — a time set apart, not a thing to dread.

Keep reading

• What is Grahan?
• What is Sutak?
• See it on the calendar
• All celestial events