Pregnant women are warned, according to some schools of thought, to be careful while cutting something, touching a sharp object or passing by a reflecting surface (including mirrors) during the eclipse. Such fears are held by some superstitious people. Others, especially those in the medical field, reject this hypothesis.
“This is not superstitious but a proven fact! If, during a lunar or solar eclipse, a pregnant woman or her husband cut something, their newborn is born with a physical deformity, which may include a missing/cut/cleft lip, ear, nose, finger or any other body part(s). I have seen hundreds of babies with these defects,” claimed the elderly Bhani, a caretaker of a Hindu temple. The Hindus believe that the sun and the moon have been punished for the sins of mankind and they have been tied in motion as a result.
“During the eclipses we pray for the forgiveness of the moon and sun. Most Hindus do not consume any food during the eclipse as well since it is prohibited. They will fast instead,” said the caretaker.
Meanwhile, medical experts have clearly rejected the hypothesis of bad omens associated with the eclipse, stating that the only thing to fear from it is eye problems. “During the eclipse, contact with ultraviolet rays increases 10 times and looking at the eclipse directly without sunglasses can even result in the loss of eyesight. The different impacts on unborn babies because of the eclipse are only a myth from India and Pakistan,” said Mehmood Parekh, an eye specialist.
Dr Jamil Akhtar, another eye specialist, also rejected the religious hypothesis. “The cleft lips are because of a fault in the embryo and have nothing to do with the eclipse,” he said.
According to Christian mythology, the eclipse is a symbol of human sins. “The eclipse basically means that the sins in this world have increased to such an extent that even the planets are covering their faces from the sinners to remind us that it is time to redeem ourselves,” said Bishop Aijaz, the chairman of the Interfaith Friendship Forum. Quoting verses from the Bible, the bishop said that the sun is a symbol of life and it gives us heat, the same heat we get from our food.
According to the Institute of Space and Planetary Astrophysics, there will be a total solar eclipse on Friday, August 1 but it will be observable in Canada, Greenland, regions close to North Pole and some towns of Russia only. A partial eclipse will be observable in Pakistan, India, Afghanistan, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Iran, Bangladesh.
The partial solar eclipse in Pakistan will be first visible in the North Western part of the country, while the people of Peshawar will be able to get a glimpse of it around 4:18 p.m. (PST) and it will continue for about two hours.
SOURCE:www.dailytimes.com.pk
No comments:
Post a Comment