Dehradun, Oct 25 (PTI) All temples in Uttarakhand, including the Char Dham, remained closed on Tuesday, while the early morning Ganga Aarti was not performed in Haridwar due to the solar eclipse. All the temples were closed during "Sutak" or the period of abstinence that began around 12 hours before the start of the solar eclipse. Shri Badrinath Kedarnath Temple Committee authorities said that due to the eclipse, the Badrinath temple was closed at 4.15 am after offering prayers from 2.30 am. The temple reopened at 5.30 pm, they said. Similarly, the Kedarnath temple was also closed for devotees after prayers were offered at 3 am. Gangotri, Yamunotri and all other temples of the state also remained closed during the solar eclipse. The four temples that comprise Char Dham are Yamunotri Dham, Gangotri Dham, Badrinath Dham and Kedarnath Dham. In Haridwar, the Ganga Aarti, usually held in the morning at Harki Pauri, was also not performed due to the eclipse. The aarti was performed late evening after the eclipse period was over and ghats and temples were purified with the water of river Ganga. A partial solar eclipse on Tuesday evening enthralled stargazers, who pointed their telescopes towards the sun to watch the celestial tango, while the faithful bathed in lakes and rivers at pilgrimage sites to mark the occasion. Astronomical telescopes at Hanle in Ladakh, Naintal in Uttarakhand and several amateur and professional astronomers watched the eclipse that began at 4.17 pm as the moon started covering the solar disc. A solar eclipse occurs on a new moon day when the moon comes in between the earth and the sun and when all the three objects are aligned. A partial solar eclipse will occur when the lunar disk covers the solar disk partially. PTI DPT CK