In Pics: Decade's last solar eclipse seen over several parts of India

The solar eclipse, which occurs when the Moon passes between the Earth and the Sun, began at around 8:17 am

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The annular solar eclipse was witnessed by thousands of people, including children and the aged, especially in northern districts of Kerala, despite clouds playing spoilsport some places. The rare spectacle was first became visible at Cheruvathoor in Kasaragod, followed by places in Kozhikode and Kannur.

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A solar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes between the Earth and the Sun, totally or partly obscuring the Sun for a viewer on Earth. An annular solar eclipse takes place when the moon's apparent diameter is smaller than that of the Sun's, blocking most of the Sun's light. This makes the Sun look like a 'ring of fire'.

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According to scientists, the solar eclipse was fully visible only in the southern states of India. People from Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu were able to see the annular solar eclipse, while the rest of the country was only be able to see a partial solar eclipse.

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Thick fog in several parts of the national capital blocked the view of the much-awaited annual solar eclipse on Thursday morning. The people of Delhi woke up to thick fog over the city with visibility of about 700 meters at 8.30 am, which deprived them of a glimpse of the solar eclipse.

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday said that while he could not witness the solar eclipse due to cloud cover in the national capital, he managed to have a glimpse of it in Kozhikode through live streaming.

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The last eclipse of the year was well visible to people living in various parts of the state including Chennai, Tiruchirapalli, Udhagamandalam and Madurai

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According to experts, people should not look directly at the Sun during the eclipse without proper protection as it can damage the eyes. Instead, solar filters, pinhole cameras or a telescopic projections can be used to see the eclipse. Besides India, the eclipse was visible in Sri Lanka, Malaysia, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Indonesia, Singapore, Oman and Guam.

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The solar eclipse also holds religious importance and special prayers are offered on the day. In Hinduism, people avoid eating anything during the eclipse. Visitors who reached Central Stadium in Kerala to catch a glimpse of the solar eclipse, were given 'payasam' to dispel the superstition of not consuming food during the celestial event