Madurai, March 3 -- As the sutak kaal (inauspicious period) of the lunar eclipse began on Tuesday morning, temples across several cities, including New Delhi, Kanpur and Madurai, remained closed in view of the celestial event.

At the Meenakshi Amman Temple, devotees gathered in large numbers in the early hours to offer prayers before the temple doors were shut.

A devotee, Gopalakrishnan, who was celebrating his 60th birthday, shared his experience. He said that since the temple authorities had announced a morning closure due to the lunar eclipse, he and his family arrived early to offer prayers. After completing the darshan, he expressed happiness and satisfaction at being able to mark his special day at the temple.

"Today is my 60th b...