Sunsets

in

March 2008

5th March: Sunset at 18:17:06
6th March: Sunset at 18:17:17
7th March: Sunset at 18:17:27
Be there some 10 minutes before sunset.
 

Sunrises

in

April 2008
 

2nd April: Sunrise at 06:03:14
3rd April: Sunrise at 06:02:32
4th April: Sunrise at 06:01:51
 

Sunrises

in

September 2008

8th September: Sunrise at 05:56:37
9th September: Sunrise at 05:56:40
10th September: Sunrise at 05:56:43
 

Sunsets

in

October 2008

5th October: Sunset at 17:54:51
6th October: Sunset at 17:54:09
7th October: Sunset at 17:53:28
Be there some 10 minutes before sunset.
 

Fig. 11: Rahu and Ketu.
Rahu seizing the moon.

The annual festival
at
Prasat Hin Phanom Rung Historical Park
will
 coincide with the sunrise the 3rd of April.

Maha-sivaratri: ''(Sanskrit: “Great Night of Siva”), the most important sectarian festival of the year for devotees of the Hindu god Siva. The 14th day of the dark half of each lunar month is specially sacred to Siva, but when it occurs in the month of Magha (January-February) and, to a lesser extent, in the month of Phalguna (February-March), it is a day of particular rejoicing.'' (Encyclopedia Britannica)

Maha = great, siva = shiva, ratri or ratree = night.

''It has been told that Parvati, the wife of Shiva, prayed, meditated and fasted on this day as offerings for her husband. She was praying for the well being of Siva and hoped to ward off any evils that may fall upon him. Though, both men and women celebrate Sivaratri, it is an especially auspicious day for women because of the story of Parvati.'' (National Tamil Youth Organization)

''KURNOOL, India, Tuesday, Jan 29, 2008: Akin to Ugadi celebrations, controversy is raging over Sivaratri festival too. The Sringeri Peetham and all other Shaivite shrines in Karnataka are observing it on March 5 while the Srisailam temple has planned it on March 6.'' (The Hindu)

The Nataraja temple of Chidambaram, Tamilnadu, India, will celebrate Maha-Sivaratri on March 6, the date chosen by most Hindu temples from India to America.

Astronomical:
     Sivaratri has astronomical roots: The 14th day in the dark lunar month (Krisnapaksa) is the last day when the crescent moon, the symbol of Shiva, will rise before the sun - mostly visible by the naked eye. Krisnapaksa 15 is New Moon day and the moon is too close to the sun to be observable.
     In 2008 Maha Shivaratri will coincide with the solar events at Prasat Phanom Rung. It will be New Moon on 7 March. Krisnapaksa 14 is therefore the 6th of April; which is also the day when the sun will set straight visible through all gates of the ancient Shiva temple.
     On the 5th and the 6th of March the crescent moon will pass Venus and Mercury, whom are in conjunction. This will give excellent opportunities for photo enthusiasts to capture the thin moon seal close to Venus and Mercury and use the temple as a frame.
     The solar events in April 2008 will be observable the 2nd to 4th. Shivaratri (Krisnapaksa 14) is the 5th of April.
     The next Shivaratris coinciding with the solar events at Prasat Phanom Rung will be in 2016 (New Moon: 7 March) and in 2027 (New Moon: 8 March).

Ceremonial:
     The Night of Shiva (Shivaratri) should start at sunset the 5th of March, which is the first of 3 days when the sun sets aligned with the doorways of Prasat Phanom Rung. Chant until sunrise, when the crescent moon in company with Venus and Mercury will rise before the sun. Fast all day until the setting sun passes the centre of the 15 doorframes of the sanctuary. Optional: Contemplate until the next and last sunset.

Right: The moon and Venus at dawn 6 March 2008

AUM NAMASIVAYA

Follow up on the sunset days in March

     For the first time in 10 years the author did not go to Phanom Rung to observe the sunsets and verify his calculations. The winter seemed like having no end; in the beginning of March it was still too cold to go on motor bike in the mornings.
     The 3 days calculated (5-7 March) were spent confirming the 'Phanom Rung Line' on his sundial at Phu Phan, Mukdahan. The 3 pictures below show how accurate a sundial tells when the sun sets straight at Prasat Phanom Rung.

5 March (around 2 pm.)
       The red line marks the path of the shadow of the sun. It is obvious that the ‘day’ is the next day. Today the sun will set visible in the door ways of Phanom Rung – but not pass the middle of the doors.
 

6 March (around 3 pm.)
       The shadow follows the (black) ‘Phanom-Rung-line’, which was made a previous year on the day when the sun set visible through all 15 door ways of the temple.
       The gnomon-reader knows that the sun will set straight again!

7 March (around 3 pm.)
       The shadow has passed the ‘Phanom-Rung-line’: The sun will set visible in the door ways of Phanom Rung – but not pass the middle of the doors.

     The sundial also clearly tells that there are 14 days from the black line to the red robe to the right when the shadow will follow a straight line on equinox day, when the sun rises and sets straight east and west.
The sundial also tells that there are 28 days until the sun will rise straight aligned with the structure of the temple.

     If the Historical Park of Phanom Rung had a similar sundial the visitors would be able to confirm by themselves if the sun will rise/set straight on the day of visit.

     The ancient Hindus in India used sundials for calendar purpose and most probably the ancient Khmers did as well.

     A sundial at Prasat Phanom Rung would be a most proper project for year 2009, which will be the United Nations International Year on Astronomy.
 

       The photo above and to the right were received by e-mail. The tourists are taking pictures through only 4 of the 15 door ways some 10 minutes before the sun was visible through all door ways on the 6th of March 2008. This was shown on Thai TV as well.

NB:

Photos of the solar events
are welcomed!