Shubham Teotia a small-town boy who came to the city of dreams Mumbai, having a vision in mind to become the top actor of the country. Thus Shubham took up the acting school to enhance his acting abilities and polish his skills.

Leaving no stone unturned Shubham always worked hard and took up the theater.

Practicing voice modulations and being a theatre artist Shubham soon got noticed for his work and started getting offers for commercials.

Shubham has been a part of various commercials and finally got a break in Bollywood with Bagpat ka Dulha.

A live-action drama movie where Shubham played a vital role and caught the eyes of the audience.

Shubham thereafter is flooded with offers and there is no looking back ever since. He has achieved a commendable name in the Bollywood industry.

Apart from acting Shubham also is a fan of traveling. The small town boys dreaming big would love to travel the world.  When asked on his Bollywood debut Shubham says “Struggle does pay off well. It was my struggle and my family’s support that I finally made it. My debut in Bollywood. Oh! What a great feeling it is. Everyone has been absolutely welcoming and kind. The love that the audience showered on me is immense and I am so grateful for it. Thank you so much and love you all always.”

Shubham’s Bagpat ka Dulha made good business at the box office and the star soon will be seen in an upcoming Netflix web series which will get on board sooner, releasing in June 2020.

Blogging is a way of connecting with people and exploring new horizons in the realm of online articles, where one can share one’s life experiences with his/her readers and help them to explore and try new things, in the most cost-effective manner.

Shubhi Garg – a name in the blogging industry, has touched new heights with Picker At Pace – an online space where Shubhi shares her fashion ideas, reveals her secret food recipes, gives brief reviews on restaurants, tries out beauty products for her online entourage to help them understand the products before they end up investing their hard-earned money on what they aren’t even aware of. Along with that, Shubhi also suggests books to read, showcases major travel goals, and talks at length about the places she visits to help her readers plan their next vacation without hassle.

Shubhi, now 26, says “My taste in fashion has always been experimental. I am more like the girl-next-door who chooses to showcase styles that people can easily follow, and I visit places that are affordable. Even with my pictures – I hate over-editing. I like to keep it natural. I am a highly practical human and I believe in keeping everything as realistic as possible.”

With more than 5 years now into blogging, Shubhi still dedicates a good amount of time to her blog and works tirelessly to make it better every day. To make it a one-stop read she writes all the enlisted categories all by herself, leaving no scope of inaccuracy.

Interestingly, the blog ‘Picker At Pace’ was launched on May 28th, 2014 by a very young blogger Shubhi, who wasn’t even aware of the term ‘blog’ back then. All she wanted to do was to dedicate a poetry post to her beloved sister on her birthday, for which she won lots of praises and accolades. This feedback gave her confidence and helped her realise that she could use her talent of writing to interact with the world. After exploring her hidden potential she never looked back!

To chisel her craft, Shubhi started to read senior bloggers like Chiara Ferragni, Bombay Bubble, Styledrive, and to name a few others. Reading them not only fine-tuned her writing skill but also inspired her to a point that she also wanted to do what they did, if not better then at least somewhat good to her potential. And today, she’s not behind them! She says, “I believe in hard work and dedication. I’ve had my ups & downs in the field, but one thing I knew was that I’m never quitting. That’s not me!”

Speaking of family support, her father initially was hesitant of this career. But like every father, Shubhi’s family started to pump her up when they heard it from others how well their daughter is doing in the city, and is being recognised by everyone! Shubhi also comforted her father that that blogging might not be a full-time career opportunity, but she will not let it go! It’s still her hobby, but a very passionate one!

Now with her family’s support Shubhi was flying high to achieve what she had only imagined.

In this journey of hers, Shubhi’s friends also helped her a lot and voluntarily managed her social media management in different cities to make her blog grow widely. Her team consists of various professional photographers, makeup artists, video creators, who affectionally and responsibly look after her work and help her to be more consistent with her blog posts. But loving what she does, Shubhi is the sole writer on her blog and constructs each post all by herself.

The name ‘Picker at Pace’, was also a perfect shot of chance. During her college exams, Shubhi was tumbling on her bed, deprived of sleep, she was trying to give a name to her blog. Surprisingly, she thought of naming it ‘Picker at Pace’ and she instantly grabbed her laptop to search what it means. But with no such Google search results, she decided to use it. Shubhi gave her own meaning to the phrase – Picker at Pace means “Catching with the speed of the running time”. Going by the meaning of her blog, Shubhi finds her inspiration from anywhere and everywhere that evolves, and she uses it in her posts. 

Well, unlike all other bloggers, Shubhi also started receiving freebies from brands to review on her blog. She recalls, her first freebie came to her in April 2015, almost a year later of starting her blog, by a giant skincare brand – PONDS. She was jumping with excitement as she had got her first chance to showcase her talent. Since then her association with various big brands have earned her a reputation among famous bloggers and when brands think of Lucknow to get associated with bloggers, ‘Picker at Pace’ by Shubhi Garg tops their list! 

Her brand collaborations and page features have taken ‘Picker at Pace’ to new heights with monthly views of more than 70 thousand audiences with her blog button over 2,80,000 followers and an entourage of more than 50,000 followers on social media. 

Shubhi Garg has been an inspiration to little girls and boys who have wanted to do something creative out of their lives. Not just with her blogs but her inner bravery, and independent nature, she has become a role model for every aspiring blogger / influencer.

Shubhi organised Lucknow’s first BLOG TALK and managed to gather 150 aspiring Bloggers & Youtubers under one roof sharing her knowledge about the growing influencer industry. Coming out in public with her talk show – ‘Lucknow’s Most Favourite with Picker At Pace’ in May 28th, 2019 (on the 5th anniversary of her blog), was anther achievement of hers. She made it a hit with more than 80,000 views on the trailer and more than 15k on each of the episodes. The show featured some recognised faces of Lucknow. Along with that, to inspire the potential bloggers of the future, Shubhi has given lectures at colleges like SRMS business school, and has hosted a lot of workshops about the art of blogging & social media marketing!

Shubhi, today is a successful blogger and a digital media marketer and has worked with some renowned restaurant chains as their marketing specialist. Shubhi says, “It’s because of blogging, that I entered the field of F&B, and it helped me understand the dynamics and prospects for media marketing in the industry.”

Shubhi funnily recalls, when she had started her blog in 2014, it had only 10 followers including Shubhi herself but today it is quite successful with followers pan India. Her major growth has been witnessed when Shubhi started doing a meet & greet sessions with her readers and received tons of hugs and thank-you notes,. She loves meeting people and interact with them, and has been a problem solver for so many of them personally & professionally both! People love this hard-working, dedicated lady today and reach out to her for anything and everything, as she’s out there trying her bit to make this world a kinder place to live in.

To end, for Shubhi, Blogging is a 24X7 job. She believes that if you want to keep excelling in this field, you have to keep playing with and innovating ideas that are unique, catchy and interest everyone! There’s no scope for going MIA (missing in action).

For those who can’t publicly show their talent either because of family restrictions, lack of confidence or fear of failure, AMIZAN is an inspiration. He’s the one who brings “secret superstar” to reality. A 23yrs young guy from Mumbai who marked his presence in the nation, not by his identity but by his work.

After randomly posting simple videos of him singing for a few months, today he’s one of the rising stars of the nation. Without any support, without any special or professional gears, he made his content eye-catching. It’s just there’s some magic in his voice so can’t resist to watch him.

AMIZAN performs covers of Indian songs with guitar or ukulele in his own version on social media. In a few months his Youtube Channel and Instagram Page has grown to 10,000+ Followers and his videos have got 1million+ views in total. People all over the nation are loving him so much. His journey is an inspiration for those who want to win hearts by their talent irrespective of their identity.

AMIZAN brings out short covers of Bollywood songs in his raw voice which are already being loved by many on social media. People say he is one of the best singers right now and deserves to be in Bollywood.

Secret Superstar is a 2017 Indian Hindi-language musical drama film under Aamir Khan productions in which an ambitious young girl, dreams of becoming a singer, but faces opposition from her father. Undeterred, she strives to follow her passion by anonymously posting her songs on the Internet. 

Likewise, AMIZAN, a rising social media sensation, hiding his face behind a cute pink mask and anonymously posting covers of hit bollywood songs reaching millions of hearts across the Nation.

Arijit Singh, Jubin Nautiyal, B Praak, Darshan Raval are delivering hit tracks and are top of their game in bollywood. Their latest tracks like Raanjhana, Tum hi Aana, Filhaal and Hawa Banke are conquering hearts all across the globe.

Meanwhile, AMIZAN is slaying covers of hit Bollywood songs on Youtube and Instagram. This so-called secret superstar is becoming an online sensation as his acoustic/unplugged covers are going viral. He started his Youtube Channel, Instagram Page and other social media channels a few months ago and now his covers of songs like “Bepannah Title” crossed 3,00,000+ views on youtube, “Tum Hi aana” and “Thodi jagah” crossed 1,00,000+ views on youtube and Instagram.

While chilly wave has seized entire North India, a six-lane highway at the outskirt of North East Delhi, Shaheen Bagh, is simmering slowly on the flame of anti-CAA (Citizenship Amendment Act, 2019) and proposed NRC (National Register of Citizens) protest. A makeshift since fortnight, when Jamia Milia Islamia’s library faced violent clashes between the protestors and Delhi police, is the temporary installation for thousands of women, men and children lodging their protest against the CAA and the NRC. Under a tarpaulin tent, all day and night, women sit on the floor over a thin layer of the mattress. Wearing shawl and scarf, they are beating the cold with their bold voices. The protest so far has been peaceful and the credit goes to the volunteers of Shaheen Bagh, Jamia Nagar, and the neighborhood. 

Two young research scholars from IIT Delhi, Aasif Mujtaba, and Sharjeel are the architects behind the peaceful protest at Shaheen Bagh. Volunteers sometimes appear complaining Aasif about the unverified news of stone pelting on the police near the protest site. Calm and composed, Aasif tells them not to react and fall prey to such rumors. 

There are posters of Baba Saheb Ambedkar and Mahatma Gandhi jotted with slogans like ‘No CAA, No NRC.’ While intense cold wave has gripped the national capital, women protestors get an education on the new contentious citizenship amendment law and NRC. The women volunteers are cheerful when they serve tea and snacks to the protestors who join it. The girls and the children are curious to know about the supporters who come from different parts of Delhi and India. They cheer up and applause the orators on the stage. No hate speech is allowed. Aasif makes sure nothing derogatory comes out. The fear of possible crackdown does not bother the protestors as the women protestors are not giving up anytime soon. Aasif Mujtaba believes that the women at Shaheen Bagh are the driving force.

Aasif tells, “From day one, our objective was multi-dimensional and holistic. We wanted to sensitize the masses about the wrongdoings of the legislation. This government is going to cross any limit of morality and constitutionalism. CAA is anti-constitutional and we are not going to give it up. The theme of our protest is, ‘we won’t be violent but we won’t be silent either’. We have long been silent on a number of issues. The government says it criminalizes Triple Talaq to give justice to the Muslim women but the same women are locked up in a virtual prison after the abrogation of Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir.”

Aasif says that the students at Jamia were peacefully protesting when police entered the library, switched off the lights and launched an assault on the innocent students. A nominee for Dr. Shankar Dayal Sharma Gold medal, Aasif has been actively participating and leading the agitation against NRC and CAA in Delhi and other parts. He says, “Gandhi gave a clarion call for ‘Do or Die’ in 1942 that turned was violent but our protest won’t be violent. The police might open lathi-charge and tear gases on us but they cannot break our spirit. For us, it’s like ‘now or never’.”

Citing the trigger point behind protest at Shaheen Bagh, he elaborates, “How this happened at Shaheen Bagh there is quite a story to tell. The day when Jamia’s students and our friends were beaten and harassed, most of us from Shaheen Bagh never saw smoke grenades or tear gases in our life yet we had the first-hand experience of police brutality. We were aghast. A peaceful march towards the parliament was turned violent when police brutally lathi-charged the students. It was like a war zone.”

Besides a well-operated and peacefully settled demonstration, the motto of, ‘no one goes hungry’ is also a major takeaway. Volunteers have raised funds from local residents and traders to feed the protestors all day and night. Giant aluminum dishes kept on a makeshift charcoal-burner simmers with meat and biryani with endless cups of teas, biscuits, and snacks.

Today’s primary purpose in most businesses is to maximize profits for its owners and stakeholders. However, not according to Global Business Leader, Shawn Vij and his new book, Moral Fiber – Living Our Values by Wiley Publishing.  

Vij goes deep in his book and shares how millennials and gen z are re-shaping how business gets done.  In a world where the richest 1 percent, those with more than $1 million USD, owns 45 percent of the world’s wealth, there is a need to pause and reflect on how businesses must start to play a greater role in elevating humanity.  

Shawn shares with us his journey and how meeting the Dalai Lama changed his approach to business.  

Interviewee:  What inspired you to write this?    

Mr. Vij:  I noticed too many people suffering in the office.  More than 85% of workers worldwide admit to ‘hating’ their jobs as per Gallup.  This has a dramatic impact on employee health, productivity and corporate profits.  We have all had that terrible boss or worked in a toxic environment filled with anger, greed and ignorance.  Unfortunately, these behaviors begin to manifest and take hold thus normalizing and conditioning this corporate culture.  

We need to change this and the only way is to conquer our own fears.  Fear of losing our jobs.  Fear of not being able to support our families.  Instead, we need to embrace the fear.  The truth is that most of us lack faith in ourselves to succeed.  We fear to discover that we are more than we think we are.  

We need to be stronger than our own fears.  It’s like the proverb, ‘fear knocked at the door.  faith answered. and lo, no one was there…’.  Trust yourself, trust your intuition, trust your heart and doors will open.  This requires us to be vulnerable and truthful – not easy to do.  But when done, courage rushes in.  

The Dalai Lama told me we are our own master.  We all have choices both at home and at work.  We are faced with compromising and toxic situations every day.  I hope the book inspires people to have the courage to do the right thing always.  

Interviewee:  What are your thoughts on global inequality?  

Mr. Vij:  Simple, it is extreme.  Why is it that the 10 richest billionaires own $745 billion in combined wealth, a sum greater than the total goods and services most nations produce on an annual basis.  I am a pure capitalist and believe everyone deserves the opportunity to make a lot of money.  The difference is on ‘how’ we do it.  We all appreciate Bill & Melinda Gates’s efforts but what if the next billionaire thinks differently.  Money is power and the ones who have it can influence policy which either creates an opportunity for others or barriers.  

Interviewee:  What is Conscious Capitalism?  

What if companies just had a simple underlying mission, which was making people’s lives better around the world.  Re-formulate the criteria of business success, and make it about humanity and ethics, not adjuncts to profit, but it’s very core.  That is Conscious Capitalism.  One company that has been a leader in this movement is the Tata Group.  The company has evolved from being a family-owned business to one of the best-run and professionally-managed groups in the world.  They focus on stakeholders versus shareholders.  Anchoring on shareholders, employees, customers, and communities equally.  

Companies have more power than you think.  They have the power to influence governments and communities.  In turn, be a leader in resetting our moral compass at a grand scale.  It is important that the leaders of these corporations have the right intent.  Just look at companies like Enron that anchored on excessive greed fueling deception for the sake of a dollar.  If our only goal is to make money at no cost, then we’re bound to harm others and ourselves in pursuit of those things.  When this happens, we’ve used capitalism to cripple our value system.  

We have an opportunity to re-define capitalism.  Conscious Capitalism is on the rise, and companies that put their values at the core will not only succeed in long term profits, but also raise the human condition.  

Shawn Vij is an accomplished business leader who has over 25 years of industry and consulting experience. He has worked in various leadership positions for Ford Motor Company, Ernst & Young, VISA, Deloitte Consulting, Microsoft, and Intel Corporation. He holds an MBA from Purdue University, MS in Engineering from the University of Michigan and a BS in Mechanical Engineering from Michigan Technological University.  Can be followed on Instagram @shawnvij

Shawn was raised in the US Midwest and now resides in the Pacific Northwest. 

His new book is Moral Fiber – A Practical Guide to Living Our Values. 

Publisher: wileyindia.com

Available at all major bookstores and Amazon.in, Amazonkindle Flipkart

Sajid Khan always had a dream to satisfy the sugar tooths and thus Sajid took up baking as a career. Having desserts as his specialty Sajid took up the baking cause of his interest in cake making and melding with the flavors.

Sajid has specialized in baking varieties of cakes for birthday parties and various occasions. The fondant used along with the ideas and the unique styles gives a special touch. His creativity is another level, always wanting people for more.

Sajid soon with his progress became the talk of the town, making his way in the Bollywood industry, Sajid today has a number of Bollywood celebrities as his clients.

Birthdays parties or weddings, baby showers or any celebration our b’town celebs always have  Sajid Khan’s numbers to dial for the same.

His mastery in cake making made him ace his passion for baking.

Sajid Khan’s cake making techs and creativity is something to look out for. He has won a number of competitions with his extraordinary baking talent.

His flavors and designs have impressed masses.

Sajid Khan is an inspiration to a number of people who would like to persuade their careers in the field. Sajid provides baking classes and has a number of followers on social media. Making him famous amongst the cookery social media groups.

Sajid Khan the baker has worked hard and achieved his goals thus becoming the number one celebrity baker of the country.

In a press conference organized by Martyrs’ Family Welfare Foundation’ at Press Club of India on Thursday, many retired Army veterans including the Convener of the foundation Major Dr. TC Rao, Major General Ranjit Singh, Major General Ravindra Yadav, Colonel Ravi Tokas, Major SN Yadav, Chairman of MFWF Colonel Mahavir Singh participated in the press conference.

The demand of ‘representation and reservation of ex-servicemen’ in the legislative bodies from the Gram Panchayat to the Parliament’ was vociferously raised in the press meet. Retired soldiers alleged that they have been neglected by the different governments over the last 70 years. The contribution of soldiers in nation-building has been unprecedented. Therefore, they want to cooperate to speed up the development of the country even post-retirement.

MFWF Convenor Major Dr. TC Rao said, “A large chunk of ex-servicemen is feeling neglected today. We demand direct participation in the electoral politics that should be dealt on priority. On the basis of the population of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, ex-servicemen must also get reservation in the legislature of this country and states, from Panchayat to Parliament. In this regard, we have sent a memorandum in five points demand to the honourable President of India, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Congress President Sonia Gandhi, the Chief Election Commissioner and the heads of all mainstream national and regional political parties.

According to Major TC Rao, “About three crore families in this country have military background, but neither government has paid deserved attention to these crores of voters nor given them due recognition in the election bodies. Whenever the country faced threats, thousands of brave soldiers have sacrificed their lives to protect the dignity of borders with their blood. Government can’t neglect anymore.”

It is to be noted that soldiers mostly do not get chance to cast votes due to deployment duty during elections. The soldiers allege that the governments ignore. While 17 former Presidents in the US were from military background, in India those veterans are been sidelined.

Statistics show that in Delhi Cantonment constituency, a total of 50% of the army voters reside, including many civilians involved in various jobs of the army, indirectly associated with the veterans’ family. It is also noteworthy that 30% votes of the total 62 cantonments in the country are from defense forces. ‘The Martyrs’ Family Welfare Foundation’ demand that all the 62 seats in the concerned assembly under which the cantonment area lies should be reserved for the soldiers only.

General Ravindra Yadav raised the issue of non-payment dues of defense officers by National Highway Authority of India. He said, “The retired defense forces are running pillars to post to get their dues. They have operated toll plazas from 2003-2010. Thereafter, the scheme was closed because of the pressure from the civil contractors lobby. The officers were asked to deposit bank guarantee ranging from 10-25 lacs, which the officers obtained after mortgaging their properties. Some of them rendered homeless as they couldn’t repay the installments.”

The veterans further allege that all political parties have ignored them. If demands are not met, then the state and national political parties may have to bear the brunt of the veterans in the upcoming Delhi Assembly elections.

The MFWF, in its joint statement, demanded the nomination of two ex-servicemen in the Cantonment Board and also submitted a draft to send two ex-servicemen to the Lok Sabha in place of Anglo Indian.

“There will be obstacles. There will be doubters. There will be mistakes. But with hard work, there are no limits.” Adhered to these lines, actor and social influencer Raine Chawla grabbed the eyeballs of millions gradually but eventually.

Raine has proved her mettle not only in acting but also in the world of fashion. Her talent was recognized by National Award Winner Actor Bobby Simha who praised her work when he shared the screen with her in an album.

From Kollywood to the Indian film industry, Raine has proven her versatility and has become a home name now. With a few of the noted projects in the offing, she is all set to slay the glamour world.

Sources close to Raine have revealed that the actress is in talks with few director biggies in Bollywood and she has something in her pouch for fans. When asked Raine about the same, she said, “It would be too early to reveal but yes a noted Bollywood director approached me for his upcoming project. We are in talks and something fruitful will come out soon.”

When asked to shed some more light on it, she said, “It would be too early to reveal. Let the time come and let things come on paper. It is on the initial stages as if now.”

Raine is also in talks for a web series and she is quite excited about it. She feels, “Web series are the latest trend in the industry. It would be an awesome experience for me to be a part of it.”

When asked why web series, she said, “Web Series are new trend in India. People now love see things on their mobiles rather than watching it on TV. This is the reason why mainstream directors and actors from cinema and television are shifting to web series.”

Apart from acting, Raine Chawla also is into influencer marketing. She has already teamed up with ace photographer Supriyo Nath. The Delhi based photographer has worked with some of top models in India including Manushi Chillar, actresses Rakul Preet and Urvashi Rautela.

Raine has revealed that he is willing to team up with her on a fresh project.

Despite, having so much work in her kitty, Raine never disappoints her fans on social media. She has a huge fan following on Instagram and she makes sure to interact to them from time and again. She has not only won the hearts of her fans with her acting but has also inspired the budding and aspiring actresses.

Tik tok has changed the phase of the country with its entertainment factor. Millions of people have got indulged in Tik Tok who has a craze for becoming an actor.

Jagtap Raj Kumar is one such tik toker who has changed the meaning of tik tok in India.

Being a major source of entertainment Jagtap has left no stone unturned to entertain his fans to the fullest.

He has topped the list of the entertainers with a number crossing thousands with people giving tremendous response on his videos he has rocked the tik tok platform becoming everyone’s favorite.

Famously known as Rider Jagtap Raj Kumar has introduced a new level of tik tok to the audience. His viewers and likes have topped being the number of tik toker of the country.

Jagtap a.k.a rider has won millions of hearts with his fabulous videos. His entertainment is something to look up to one cannot escape. It’s a one-stop entertainment zone for someone who absolutely loves acting.

Jagtap surely is an inspiration to the influencers all across the country and for all the tik tok lovers. Apart from a social media influencer he also is an event manager. He has a well-renowned name in the event management world having a number of events in his pockets.

An influencer one couldn’t turn blind to always . His acting and a hobby of entertaining people have made him a tik tok star of this generation , becoming the tik tok star of the year.

The solar eclipse occurring on December 26 is not only the last one this year, but is also going to very special. During the eclipse, the Sun will appear as a ‘Ring of fire’ for a brief moment.

The spectacle will be visible in parts of South India. Those living along Mangalore or Madikeri in Karnataka; Telicherry, Calicut, Palghat in Kerala; Ooty, Coimbatore, Pollachi, Tiruppur, Palani, Dindugal, Karur, Erode, Trichy, Pudukottai, Karaikudi, Ammapattinam, Muttupettai in Tamilnadu; are in for a celestial treat. People in the rest of India need not despair, a partial eclipse will be visible everywhere in India.

 
The eclipse will commence at 8:00 am. The disc of the Moon will creep over the Sun from its western edge. The maximum eclipse will be around 9.30 am. The eclipse will conclude around 11:16 am. In between the Sun will appear in various sizes of crescents.  For those along the line of annularity, about 9.30 am, the Sun will seem like a dazzling ring.

Shadow play

The Sun is about 400 times bigger than the Moon and also 400 times far away from Earth. This cosmic coincidence makes both the objects appear about the same angular size in the sky. At times, the Moon comes in between the Earth and the Sun and obstructs the view of the Sun partially. That is the partial solar eclipse. At times, all the three celestial objects – Sun, Moon and Earth – may be so perfectly aligned that the Moon will obstruct the full face of the Sun for a brief moment. Then, we get a total solar eclipse. In the same way, the Moon may enter the shadow of the Earth, resulting in Lunar eclipse. 

What is an annular eclipse

The annular solar eclipse is a kind of total solar eclipse. Sun, Moon and Earth are aligned in a straight line. However, on that day, the apparent size of the Moon is smaller than the apparent size of the Sun. Only the central part of the Sun is obstructed. The circular edges of the Sun appear like a bright shining bangle.  

The path of the Earth around the Sun and Moon around the Earth is elliptical. When the Earth goes around the elliptical path, at one point, usually around January 5, Earth will be closest to Sun and at another place farthest, generally around July 4. When an object is near, it appears bigger and when faraway appears smaller. When near, the Sun will look bigger and far, bit smaller. Similarly, the Moon passes through the two extreme points, closest and farthest points, about once a month. It takes 27.55 days to complete one revolution from the nearest location to the same position. If a total solar eclipse occurs when the Sun is relatively closer and Moon far, the apparent size of the Sun will be bigger than the apparent size of the Moon. In that situation, the Moon will not be able to cover the full face of the Sun. While the central part is covered by the Moon, the edges of the Sun will stand out as a ‘Ring of fire’. This is called an annular eclipse.

On December 26, Sun is near to the closest point, and the apparent size will be about 1951 arc-seconds. The Moon, on the other hand, is not near its nearest location and hence its apparent magnitude will be about 1893 arc-seconds. Small Moon will not be able to obstruct the whole disc of the Sun.

Why can’t we see it everywhere?

Look at the picture below. The point marked A is right along the straight line connecting Moon and Sun. Therefore the Moon will obstruct the central portion of the Sun at this point, and one can see the annular solar eclipse. In contrast at point B, the direction of the Moon is slightly away from that of the center of the Sun. Therefore, only part of the Sun will be obstructed. In point B, we have an only partial solar eclipse. However, at point C, the direction of the Moon does not come in the way of the Sun at all. Therefore there is no eclipse at this point. Now, as the Earth revolves around its axis, the points A, B, C will trace a path on the surface of the Earth. These define the eclipse path.

Can I see the eclipse from my place?

The ring of fire will be visible along the path marked with red. The rest of India, partial eclipse will be visible. 

How to look at eclipse safely

Any bright object is a threat to our eyes. Staring at bright light might cause harm from temporary discomfort to permanent retinal damage. Hence the advice not to look at a flash of lightning or welding with unprotected eyes. On any day, eclipse or otherwise, do not stare at the Sun. There are two ways to observe the Sun safely. One can use a solar filter (not goggles) specifically made for watching the eclipse. Or one can project the image of the Sun using a telescope or pinhole camera (do not look at the Sun directly with a telescope or pinhole camera). Using exposed x-ray films or smoked glass is not safe enough. 

Does Sun emit any ‘harmful rays’ during the eclipse?

Eclipse is an apparent phenomenon. Just like an umbrella or tree obstructs the Sun and provides shade, in case of an eclipse, Moon obstructs, and its shadow falls on the Earth. Therefore, it is not an event occurring in the Sun or a phenomenon that affects it. Hence no mysterious rays emanate from Sun during an eclipse. Fearing a shadow is not human.

Then, what about Rahu and Ketu

The mythology of Rahu and Ketu is deeply ingrained in the cultural psyche in India. However, ancient Indian astronomers like Aryabhatta and Lallacharya have stoutly rejected them. In fact, as far as Indian astronomy is concerned, Aryabhatta was the first to present a cogent naturalistic and scientific explanation to eclipses.  In his work Aryabhattiyam, written about 1500 years ago, he said, the shadow of Moon falling on a location results in a solar eclipse and when the Moon enters the Earth’s shadow lunar eclipses occur.  Lallacharya’s work Sishyadhivruddhida tantra, a handbook for students of astronomy, written 1300 years ago, unambiguously rejects Rahu-Ketu myths and Puranic claims. The scientific heritage of Indian culture is rooted in the rational and logical works of Aryabhatta and Lallacharya and not baseless myths.

Eating and going out during the eclipse

Unlike the fake claims being circulated in social media, various studies have shown that cooked food does not get spoiled, nor going out and watching the eclipse is harmful. It is a natural celestial show.  (India Science Wire)