Bhubaneswar: A total lunar eclipse will occur across several time zones on today that is Tuesday, March 3, 2026. In this, the Moon moves from right to left, passing through Earth’s shadow. On this day, a rare red moon termed as “Blood Moon” will be seen in the sky due to the effect of the total lunar eclipse. ‘This coincide with Dola Purnima festival in Odisha.
According to the India Meteorological Department, a total lunar eclipse will occur when the whole Moon comes under the umbral shadow of the Earth, and a partial lunar eclipse occurs only when a part of the Moon comes under the shadow of the Earth. This is the first total lunar eclipse of 2026 and the last one to be seen till 2029.
The partial eclipse will begin at around 3:20 PM Indian time. The full eclipse will occur at 5:04 PM. It will last for about 57 minutes. The eclipse will end at 6:47 PM. The total duration of the eclipse will be about 3 hours and 27 minutes. In Odisha, worshiping and cooking were prohibited during the lunar eclipse. So, the household will stop entering the kitchen and eating from 6:20 AM. The ritual called as ‘Handi Chanda’ will be observed for over 13 hours today.
Odisha will experience a partial lunar eclipse today. You can watch the rare cosmic scene through naked eye as it does not have any harmful effect. According to the zodiac sign, the eclipse may have auspicious effects for some zodiac signs and inauspicious effects for some.