Many gathered at Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple to witness the rare phenomenon of the sun aligning with the temple's gopuram during the autumnal equinox on Monday (Sep 23). This spectacle occurs only twice a year, with the next opportunity in March.
Thiruvananthapuram: Many people visit the Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple to witness the rare phenomenon of the sun aligning perfectly with the temple's gopuram during the autumnal equinox. This event, which happens only twice a year, draws a large crowd. However, this time, on Monday (Sep 23) those who gathered were left disappointed as cloudy skies obscured the view of the celestial event.
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By 5 p.m. yesterday, the eastern entrance of the Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple was packed with people, all eyes fixed on the temple's gopuram. As the sun began to set, anticipation grew, with everyone expecting to see the golden-hued sun descend through each doorway of the gopuram. However, as clouds gathered, the sun disappeared, leaving the onlookers deeply disappointed.
Many had hoped to capture the rare sight of the sun through reels and share on social media, but the sun remained elusive. After waiting for a long time, people left, saying they would return next time. The gopuram of the temple is built in alignment with the sun's north-south movement, which is why this unique spectacle occurs. The next chance to witness this phenomenon will be in March of next year.
The autumnal equinox marks the moment in fall when the Sun crosses the celestial equator, making day and night approximately equal in length. It occurs around September 22 or 23 in the Northern Hemisphere and around March 20 or 21 in the Southern Hemisphere. This event signals the beginning of autumn and is one of two equinoxes that happen annually, the other being the vernal equinox in spring. After the autumnal equinox, days become shorter and nights longer until the winter solstice.
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