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A total solar eclipse being gazed at by a languidly reclining lady with a musical instrument on her bed is one of the rare Indian paintings depicting a Solar eclipse.

The painting also includes the fact of the appearance of a few bright stars, during totality and the flutter created among the birds with such an unusual darkening.

The painting is part of an exhibition on solar eclipses being organised at Nehru Planetarium by Planetarium’s artist Rajesh Harsh, said Director Nehru Planetarium N Rathnasree on the occasion of the partial solar eclipse on March 19.

Dr Rathnasree said we find  many expressions of astronomy in art throughout history. However, depiction of eclipses in paintings is relatively rare in classical art, she added.

This particular painting forms part of the Ragamala series of paintings found from Bundi, in Rajasthan.

Dating  around 1730-50 it not only shows a total Solar eclipse but with a reasonable depiction of the Solar Corona indicating the influence perhaps of Swai Jai Singh's Astronomical work in the art world.

These and other interesting examples from classical art world depicting eclipses, will also be on display at the Planetarium, she added.

As seen from Delhi, the Sun rises at 6.27 am, by which time 8.5% of the disk of the Sun is already covered in eclipse. The maximum of eclipse, when about 47.8% of the disk of the Sun will be covered by the Moon, will occur at 7.06.44 am and the eclipse will end at 8.01.01 am.

In the eastern parts of the country, the Sun will rise and then the eclipse will start. Traveling westwards, one will see a rising Sun that is already under a little eclipse.

One should not, of course, look at the Sun – even a rising or setting Sun. However, those equipped with digital cameras that have an LCD display, can point the camera at the rising Sun while checking the view in the LCD display and thus obtain interesting images of a rising eclipsed Sun, she added.

Public skywatch and observations of the solar eclipse by students and amateur astronomers is being organised in the Teen Murti grounds, where telescopes equipped with projection apparatus and solar filters will be used to help the visitors view the eclipse.

Ambient temperature changes during the eclipse, the observed fraction of the disk of the Sun covered during the eclipse as well as the sharpening of the shadows with the progress of the eclipse will be studied by students and amateur astronomers as part of the eclipse activities.