A partial solar eclipse was observed on Sunday as part of a rare "Ring of Fire" solar eclipse seen across Africa and Asia.

The sky grew dark over India on Sunday as Hindu priests held rituals and took holy dips as the solar eclipse took place.

Hindu temples were closed in some cities 12 hours before the eclipse.

According to Hindu beliefs, celestial bodies like the sun and moon emit negative energies during an eclipse and the temples are closed to minimize any disturbance they may cause in the effects of divine energy on devotees.

The phenomenon lasted almost 3 hours as the moon crossed in front of the Sun covering large parts of it during its peak in Dubai on the same day.

Also a partial solar eclipse was visible in Hong Kong on Sunday attracting dozens of residents to witness this annular celestial event, which coincided with the summer solstice and also Father's Day.

The maximum eclipse occurred with 89% of the sun's diameter obscured by the moon, according to the Hong Kong Observatory which said this year's solar eclipse was the largest visible in Hong Kong since 2012 and will be the largest until a solar eclipse in 2070.

A "Ring of Fire" eclipse that falls exactly in midsummer, whether in the northern or southern hemisphere, is uncommon.

There haven't been any in at least 100 years, according to Reuters calculations based on data from NASA.

The next one will be in 2039 and then in 2392.

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