Celestial magic: Countering myths, changing mindsets for 4 decades and counting

MUMBAI: “That moment was special,” said Abhay Deshpande, a volunteer with astronomy club Khagol Mandal, recalling a sky-watching session they had organised in Uttar Pradesh’s Hamirpur during the total solar eclipse on October 24, 1995.

- Niraj Pandit

Thousands of sky-gazers and astronomy enthusiasts had flocked the area to witness the rare celestial event. But the local population, mired in superstition, viewed it as a supernatural phenomenon - they remained indoors, avoiding even a glimpse at the sky; observed fasts during the period; and performed a raft of rituals thereafter to counter ‘inauspicious’ effects.

Volunteers from Khagol Mandal had encountered many similar situations in Maharashtra, where they worked, during their ten-year journey. Drawing ‘on such experiences, they conducted a ten-day long campaign, visiting homes and schools, telling people that an eclipse was neither supernatural nor harmful, and inviting them to view the event through telescopes set at multiple places in the area.

On the day of the eclipse, hundreds of locals stepped out to witness the spectacle - most of them for the first time.

“It was great to see people go from fear to fascination within seconds,” recalled Deshpande. “It showed how powerful science could be when it reached people at the grassroots.”

Four-decade journey

Khagol Mandal was founded on July 6, 1985 in Mumbai by Dilip Joshi, Rajiv Chitnis and three other science enthusiasts who were determined to shift public perception about celestial events from astrology and superstition to astronomy and scientific thinking.

The timing was significant. Public curiosity about the skies was rising as Halley's comet - which returns to the inner solar system every 75-76 years ~ was to be sighted from most parts of the country in 1986. But for millions of superstitious, uneducated people, the event was a sign of impending doom.