Hyderabad: Many temples in Telangana will remain closed on Sunday, September 7 and will reopen on Monday, September 8, owing to the total lunar eclipse on Sunday night. A notification from the Basara Sri Gyan Saraswati Kshetra stated that the temple will remain closed till 4:00 am on Monday, and the doors will be opened for devotees after the Maha Samprokshan at 7:30 am.

Similarly, the Chilkur Balaji temple will be closed from 4:00 pm on Sunday and will reopen at 8:00 am on Monday.

Other prominent temples such as the Sri Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy temple at Yadagirigutta, Birla Mandir and all Sri Venkateswara temples in Hyderabad administered by the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) are also expected to be closed till Monday.

Lunar eclipse in Hyderabad

According to a press note issued by the Public Outreach & Education Committee (POEC), the penumbral eclipse will begin at 8.58 pm on September 7.

Unlike solar eclipses, observing a total lunar eclipse does not require special equipment and is safe with the naked eye, binoculars, or a telescope.

The partial phase can be observed from 9.57 pm on September 7. The total eclipse phase is expected to begin at 11.01 pm.

The Moon will be fully eclipsed from 11.01 pm to 12.23 am—a duration of 82 minutes. The partial phase ends at 1.26 am, and the lunar eclipse concludes at 2.25 am on September 8 in Hyderabad and other Indian cities.