Surya Grahan 2026: Will Solar Eclipse Be Visible In India? Does Sutak Kaal Apply? Check Timings Country-Wise

Get ready, as the biggest solar eclipse of the year has begun on August 12. Millions of people across the world are excited to witness the moment where the moon completely blocks the sun for a brief period of time on Wednesday. A solar eclipse is also the time of best meteor showers, as the planet Venus is at its brightest in the evening sky.

Solar Eclipse Begins:

According to Daisy Dobrijevic, Sky Watcher Editor, at Space website, the moon has officially started to move across the face of the sun, marking the beginning of today's total solar eclipse. The eclipse began its journey from northern Siberia, near the North Pole, and has been sighted in Greenland.

In the next few hours, the eclipse will move through Iceland and northern Spain before ending at a sunset in the Mediterranean Sea.

The moon will eventually and slowly start to get bigger and bigger, taking bites and slowly dimming the sun.

Will Surya Grahan be visible in India?

No, the graham will not be visible in India. The total shadow of the moon will pass over the sun, through the Artic, northern Siberia, Greenland, and Iceland, and also stretch through the Atlantic Ocean to finally set in northern Spain. Hence, the biggest solar eclipse will be visible in countries like Iceland, Spain, Russia, Portugal, Greenland, Madrid, and London, among others.

As per NASA, a total solar eclipse will be visible in Greenland, Iceland, Spain, Russia, and a small area of Portugal, while a partial eclipse will be visible in Europe, Africa, North America, the Atlantic Ocean, Arctic Ocean, and Pacific Ocean.

In parts of the United States, from Alaska to North Carolina, the eclipse is partial. The Moon will take only a small bite out of the Sun, and the amount of coverage will vary with location.

In the Indian standard time zone, some of these places will record the Surya Grahan on August 13.

Surya Grahan Timings & Date:

City	Local Time Zone	Partial Begins	Totality Begins	Totality Ends	Partial Ends	IST - Partial Begins	IST - Totality Begins	IST - Totality Ends	IST - Partial Ends
Reykjavik, Iceland	GMT / UTC+0	4:47 PM	5:48 PM	5:49 PM	6:47 PM	10:17 PM	11:18 PM	11:19 PM	Aug 13, 12:17 AM
Leon, Spain	CEST / UTC+2	7:32 PM	8:28 PM	8:30 PM	9:22 PM	11:02 PM	11:58 PM	Aug 13, 12:00 AM	Aug 13, 12:52 AM
Zaragoza, Spain	CEST / UTC+2	7:34 PM	8:29 PM	8:30 PM	9:07 PM	11:04 PM	11:59 PM	Aug 13, 12:00 AM	Aug 13, 12:37 AM
Palma de Mallorca, Spain	CEST / UTC+2	7:38 PM	8:31 PM	8:32 PM	8:49 PM	11:08 PM	Aug 13, 12:01 AM	Aug 13, 12:02 AM	Aug 13, 12:19 AM
Valencia, Spain	CEST / UTC+2	7:38 PM	8:32 PM	8:33 PM	9:01 PM	11:08 PM	Aug 13, 12:02 AM	Aug 13, 12:03 AM	Aug 13, 12:31 AM

Does Sutak Kaal Apply In India?

As per the Astrologics website, the sutak (an inauspicious preparatory period) for a solar eclipse begins about 12 hours before the eclipse, and temple doors are closed, cooking is paused and idols are not touched during this time. However, there is an important rule: sutak is observed only in regions where the eclipse is actually visible.

It added, since the Surya Grahan of 12 August 2026 cannot be seen from anywhere in India, the sutak kaal will not be observed in India. Temples will remain open and daily worship and routines continue as normal. Devotees who still wish to mark the occasion spiritually may of course do japa, meditation and charity, but no restrictions are religiously required here.

Advisory For People Who Can See The Solar Eclipse?

NASA has guided that ensure to watch the eclipse safely. Use certified eclipse glasses or a safe solar viewer any time any part of the Sun is visible. Regular sunglasses are not safe. And never use binoculars, a telescope, or a camera without a solar filter made for the front of the optics.

Further, NASA stated that later that same night, the Perseid meteor shower will light up the sky, peaking the evening of Aug. 12 into the early morning hours of the 13th. And with a New Moon arriving on the 12th, the skies will be ideally dark.

It explained the Perseids happen every year when Earth passes through a debris stream left behind by Comet Swift-Tuttle. As those tiny bits of comet dust hit our atmosphere at high speed, they burn up as bright streaks of light.

To view this meteor shower, look toward the northeast once it's fully dark and watch for the constellation Perseus to clear the horizon. This is where the meteors originate, but let your eyes wander, because they can flash across any part of the sky. Adding NASA said, for the best view, stay out late as the stars climb higher, find a dark open spot, and give your eyes 30 minutes to adjust.