The total lunar eclipse on March 3 is quickly approaching and skywatchers across India are gearing up for one of this year’s most striking astronomical events. This isn’t an ordinary eclipse; it’s the first total lunar eclipse of 2026 and the next one won’t arrive until late 2028. During totality, the full Moon can take on a reddish hue, earning it the dramatic nickname “Blood Moon.” A lunar eclipse happens when the Sun, Earth and Moon line up so that Earth’s shadow falls across the Moon’s surface. Most direct sunlight gets blocked, but longer red and orange wavelengths bend through Earth’s atmosphere and light up the Moon in rich, coppery tones, the same reason sunrises and sunsets glow.
Here is the full official list of Indian cities with timings for the Total Lunar Eclipse (Blood Moon) on March 3, 2026, based directly on the Government of India’s Press Information Bureau (PIB) release issued by the Ministry of Earth Sciences. The eclipse begins at 3:20 PM IST, totality occurs between 4:34 PM and 5:33 PM IST and the eclipse ends at 6:48 PM IST. However, in most Indian cities, the Moon rises after the eclipse has already started, meaning people will mainly see the ending phase of the Blood Moon at moonrise.
Lunar Eclipse March 3, 2026: Full City-Wise Timings (India)
Major Metro Cities
City
Moonrise Time (IST)
Eclipse Visibility
Delhi
6:22 PM
Ending phase visible
Mumbai
6:45 PM
Ending phase visible
Kolkata
5:39 PM
Eclipse visible
Chennai
6:17 PM
Ending phase visible
Bengaluru
6:28 PM
Ending phase visible
Hyderabad
6:22 PM
Ending phase visible
Ahmedabad
6:44 PM
Ending phase visible
Pune
6:41 PM
Ending phase visible
North India Cities
City
Moonrise
Chandigarh
6:19 PM
Jaipur
6:29 PM
Lucknow
6:07 PM
Amritsar
6:30 PM
Jammu
6:29 PM
Srinagar
6:28 PM
Shimla
6:21 PM
Dehradun
6:17 PM
Haridwar
6:17 PM
East And North-East India (Best Viewing Region)
These regions will witness more of the eclipse, including parts of totality.
City
Moonrise
Guwahati
5:24 PM
Agartala
5:27 PM
Shillong
5:23 PM
Imphal
5:15 PM
Itanagar
5:15 PM
Dibrugarh
5:09 PM
Kohima
5:13 PM
Aizawl
5:20 PM
Silchar
5:20 PM
Gangtok
5:36 PM
Darjeeling
5:37 PM
Central And Eastern Cities
City
Moonrise
Patna
5:51 PM
Ranchi
5:51 PM
Bhubaneswar
5:51 PM
Cuttack
5:50 PM
Raipur
6:07 PM
Nagpur
6:18 PM
Bhopal
6:24 PM
Gaya
5:52 PM
