In pictures: Bengalis from the US and Canada share their solar eclipse experience

New York, USA: ‘I was filled with anticipation as I experienced my first solar eclipse. I got myself a pair of eclipse glasses, eager to witness this celestial event. The eclipse held a symbolic significance for me, as I perceived it as a symbol of closure and the beginning of new opportunities. As the eclipse unfolded before my eyes, it presented a breathtaking spectacle. I sat beneath its gentle shadow, observing as people from nearby buildings joined in the collective experience. However, my excitement led me to gaze at the sun for a bit too long, and now I’m experiencing some temporary discomfort as my eyes adjust, but it should be fine soon, I hope,’ said Sonam Dolkar Seth

Burlington, Ontario: Nirmalya Choudhury, a Xaverian from Kolkata, now settled in Canada, clicked this photo as the sky darkened in the afternoon. ‘I was lucky to be close to the Path of Totality. As the sun started being eclipsed by the moon, I realised we cannot humanly comprehend the strength of the sun. When the sun re-emerged after the total eclipse, I was reminded of Rabindranath Tagore’s famous song, ‘Akash amay bhorlo aloy’. #AkashAmiBhorboGaaney

Bloomington, Indianapolis: ‘It is not possible to get a good pic without a telescopic camera. But just to catch the history, I shot a few. It was a fantastic experience,’ said Ilora Basu

Savannah, Georgia, USA: ‘Witnessing the eclipse was a cosmic experience which has nothing to do with me per se, except pushing me to the brink of a profound awe. This time we saw only a 70 per cent eclipse, but the experience was intense. In the middle of the afternoon, the weather cooled down considerably, to spring back to mid 20°C as soon as the tryst between the sun and the moon got over!’ said Shubhra Mukherjee

Austin, Texas, USA: ‘Over a million people travelled to Texas and Austin was directly on the path of total solar eclipse. It was an eerie feeling when the sun disappeared, and the sky over Austin went dark. If you are in the path of totality it is really a mystical, awe-inspiring, even life-changing event,’ said friends Avishek Mukherjee and Santanu Rudra about the experience

Port Stanley, Ontario: Our son, Upamanyu, all of 5, has just learnt about the solar system and is curious about the planets and universe. He and his mother Aditi were engrossed watching the moon eclipse the sun. We will cherish the experience for a long time, as the next time he will get an opportunity to view total eclipse will be after 20 years. Making memories with celestial marvel

Flemington, New Jersey, USA: ‘I experienced the whole episode from my kitchen window and deck. Here, we witnessed a 85 to 90 per cent eclipse. We could suddenly feel the temperature drop and it was dark all around. It was surreal to say the least,’ shared Mitra Mandal

Burlington, Ontario: The group of Suravita Ghosh, Indranil Ghosh, Prithika Ghosh, Pradipto Chatterjee, Ranja Chatterjee and Prinaka Chatterjee were lucky to witness the total solar eclipse from Burlington downtown Spencer Smith Park. ‘We drove from Mississauga. We were a bit disheartened when till 2.30pm the sky was full of clouds at Burlington and did not have any more expectation to experience the eclipse but it was a magical moment of surprise and kind of a gift of nature that as soon as the eclipse began the sky cleared out to bright blue. We couldn’t believe that happened and was a part of the approximately 15,000 enthusiasts witnessing the lifetime experience. It was so exciting to see the streetlights turning on altogether, when they sensed the darkness. We shivered when it was dark but were prepared with blankets to cover up ourselves. The moment of viewing the corona of the Sun and the diamond ring was a golden experience