Rahu, one of the most notorious demons of the Hindu myth, was rubbed the wrong way by the Sun. Myth has it that Vishnu, God of all Gods churned the oceans to usher in peace. This was at the end of a bitter war between the Gods and demons. At this time, Dhanvantri, the fountain head of medicine, brought forth nectar. This was too good for the demons to let go. Vishnu manage to get it across the Gods, but Rahu, disguised as a God tried to get some nectar for himself The Sun and the Moon saw this happening and informed Vishnu, who immediately chopped off Rahu’s head. Rain’ lived on though with no body, because he had taken a sip of the nectar. But he never forgave the Sun or the Moon and periodically eats either one up. Thailand In Thailand, lucky objects are bought to ward off evil omens during the eclipse. Since black is the colour of Rahu (the demon of darkness), devotees in Thailand buy up black chicken, black liquor, black beans, black eggs, black rice and black moss sticks.
Tahiti In Tahiti eclipses have had a romantic connotation. They have been interpreted as the lovemaking of the Sun and the Moon. So, people in Tahiti find the event to be something to look forward to, since the eclipse seems to be the harbinger of a divine blessing.
