Guwahati, July 22 - For close to three minutes Wednesday, Assam witnessed near darkness after dawn as the moon completely hid the sun to form the longest solar eclipse of the 21st century.

At 6.28 a.m., millions watched with a sense of awe as the eclipsed sun cast a shadow, plunging most parts of Assam into darkness.

'It was like a dream...a phenomenon that can just be felt, an exciting moment with the morning turning into night for more than three minutes,' said R. Barman, a scientist.

Guwahati and several other parts of Assam and the northeast gave star gazers one of the best views of the complete eclipse with people able to witness the dramatic diamond ring.

'It was a momentous event, a strange darkness enveloping the morning as crickets and birds chirped and stars became visible for a fleeting few minutes,' said Arunim Das, an amateur astronomer.