From correspondents in Kerala, India, 04:31 PM IST

Temples in Kerala will be shut Friday, during the time the partial solar eclipse takes place.

P. Narayanan, Travancore Devasom Board (TDB) member, told IANS that all temples under their jurisdiction have been instructed to remain closed at the time of the partial solar eclipse.

'This has been the practice before too and after the eclipse takes place, temples would open immediately after a purification ceremony is done,' said Narayanan.

TDB runs the affairs of various temples, including the famed Sabarimala temple, in south Kerala.

The partial solar eclipse is expected to start at 4.56 p.m. here, peak at 5.31 p.m. and end at 6.05 p.m.

The Kerala State Science and Technology Museum here has made extensive arrangements on its campus for people to view the event.

They have warned people not to view the sun directly and also asked them to desist from viewing the event using scratched X-ray sheets and smoked glasses.

(Staff Writer, © IANS)