May’s Blood Red Moon and Mashobra
The attic of a four-story building of a 2146-meter high Himachali village must’ve been a special place to watch the super flower blood moon of May 2021. Frankly, I didn’t choose the destination to witness the full moon from there. Serendipity brought me to that attic of Mashobra Shimla before the full moon of May.
According to Space.com, May’s full moon, known as the Flower Moon, will be a “supermoon” as the moon will be the closest to earth in the entire year. This full moon coincides with the only total lunar eclipse of the year, earning it the moniker “Super Flower Blood Moon.”
We had shifted from Mehli village of Shimla to Mashobra a couple of days ago. From the sit-out of our wooden attic, I could see deep red sunsets. On many rainy days we witnessed double rainbows.
One evening, I noticed how large the moon was. The day was May 25. I clicked some pictures and enjoyed the pink hues of the twilight dotted with the almost full moon. The mountains spread like waves underneath. It was like seeing a bindi over crimson-lined waves.
Since my time in the Bhagsu village of Dharamshala, I have had an affinity with full moons. In Bhagsu, my traveler friends and I often used to talk about how we spend our full moon evenings. Some said they read a book, and others watched the moon devoting themselves to its fullness.
Well, on full moon nights, I usually stare at the moon for a long time. The large icy circle on a clear sky is one of the most gorgeous things to look at.
Mesmerized by the full Himalayan moon, I searched Google to make sure it was a full moon night. But my search told me the super flower moon would be the next day, that’s on 26 June. And the moon was to appear red for about fifteen minutes as the moon moves fully into the earth’s shadow. For those fifteen minutes, the moon would be the closest to earth.
I was thrilled.
The next day I made sure to get my dinner done early and eagerly awaited for the moon. I kept looking at the mountain ranges in the distance, but the moon was invisible.
Suddenly at about 7:35 pm, I saw the first glimpse of the red moon. A small red circle shone above the mountains. For a while, the sky was clear, but a little later, the mist made the scene a bit hazy.
Seated on the terrace wrapped in a blanket, I took many pictures of May’s blood-red moon.
The moon looked beautiful. We worked for a couple of hours on the attic roof. Soon the night settled in.
The sky was dark now. I could only see the blue color of the sky upon looking at it hard. The valley dazzled with tiny stars. Those were all home lights twinkling in the distance. And the golden moon shone brightly above them all.
It was a scene to behold. And so we did.
Enjoy these pictures of the super flower blood moon we saw from Mashobra village of Shimla Himachal Pradesh.
Follow Up Read: Accounts of an Itinerant Writer’s Life in Mashobra Shimla – Along with things to do
Where to stay in Mashobra?
I stayed at West End homestay in Mashobra but I can’t find the link to book the property. Here are other guesthouses in Mashobra for you to choose from.
And where did you see the blood-red moon? Have you been to Mashobra? Let me know in the comments.
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