THE GODS WERE DRINKING the elixir of immortality when the demon Rahu slipped into their midst and stole a sip. Surya (the sun) and Soma (the moon) reported the incident to the great deity Vishnu, who promptly sought out the impudent Rahu and lopped off his head. But having become deathless, Rahu survived and to this day seeks revenge on the tattletales by devouring them.
That at least is how Hindu myth explains the solar eclipse. In Thai legend, Rahu reappears as the younger brother of two men who are reincarnated as the sun and moon. Unhappy at being overshadowed, Rahu is constantly striving to dim their brilliance by swallowing them; and occasionally he is successful. In Chinese mythology, it is not a demon but a heavenly dog that bites into the sun.
Of course, provide a simpler, more boring explanation. The solar eclipse occurs when the moon passes before the sun, casting a huge shadow on Earth. This year, the phenomenon will take place on Oct. 24. While these events are not uncommon, they are often only visible from inaccessible or inconvenient places. This time, however, a total eclipse will be visible in a thin strip from Iran to the Pacific ocean, cutting through the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia. Those people not directly under the eclipse will be able to see the sun only partially obscured.
Special measures are being taken to minimize the effects of Rahu’s bite. The Sri Nathji temple in the northwestern state of Rajasthan is normally out of bounds to members of lower castes. But on the day of the eclipse the gates will be opened to the poor; the wealthy are to throw rice and wheat at them from the roof of the temple building. After the lower castes collect as much grain as they can carry away, the benefactors will “purify” the temple by washing it with milk.
In Thailand, devotees are burning black joss sticks and presenting eight black offerings, including black-feathered chickens and coffee, to appease the dark angel in the run-up to the eclipse. The price of black fowl has shot up from 100 baht ($4) to 500 baht ($20) in some markets. Even Prime Minister Banharn Silapa-archa, known to be very superstitious, is not above the fray. The country’s most prominent soothsayer, Pinyo Pongcharoen, recently urged the premier to carry out Buddhist rituals to ward off evil. “According to statistics and the country’s stars, bad luck always comes with an eclipse,” Pongcharoen says. “Major changes and big losses are inevitable.” When the eclipse hits, people will be clashing gongs and exploding firecrackers to frighten away the monster-god. In Cambodia, thousands are expected to fire at the moon with handguns and rifles to “help the sun escape,” as one man puts it.
