BENGALURU: As the 12-hour countdown for Chandrayaan 3 begins, several cultural committees and individuals in Karnataka and other states organised pujas and prayers for the safe landing of the lander module, Vikram, on the south pole of the lunar surface. The touchdown is expected at 6.04 pm, according to the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO).
A ceremony was held at the Shree Dodda Ganapathi temple in Basavanagudi, Bengaluru, by members of the Chamarajpet Janapara Vedike. The idol was offered phala (various kinds of fruits), panchamrita, abhisheka (holy bath) and kadubu — considered the deity’s favourite sweet. The Indian flag along with Bharat Mata pictures and Chandrayaan-3 Mission posters had been placed all around the idol.
Temple ceremonies for safe landing
KV Ramachandra, a member of the organisation, said, “The group plans to do a similar puja on Wednesday as well during the landing to pray for the 100% success of India’s Moon mission.” In Mysuru, devotees performed ‘Sarvartha Sidhi Yaga’ at Anjaneya temple for the safe soft landing of India’s third mission to the Moon.
Politicians are also thronging temples to offer their prayers. BJP MLA TS Srivatsa along with 82 party workers will travel from Mysuru to Sri Raghavendra Swamy Matha, Mantralaya, wishing the mission a success. MP S Muniswamy along with BJP workers per formed puja i n Kolaramma temple, Kolar and said, “The entire world’s eyes are on India.” At Shree Srikanteshwara Swamy Temple in Nanjangud on Monday, a similar puja was organised and rangolis were made of Chandrayaan’s spacecraft. Kukke Subramanya temple in Dakshina Kannada also performed a special puja.
Similar ceremonies were witnessed around the country. Before the mission launch on July 14, a group of scientists visited Tirupati for its success and offered prayers. The group also carried with them a miniature model of Chandrayaan-3 to seek the Lord’s blessings. While India is united in prayer, the NASA stands among the hopeful. In case the mission is successful, it would mark humanity’s first touchdown on the Moon’s southern pole which will yield invaluable data for not just India but all countries.
Complaint against actor Prakash Raj for comment
Bagalkot: Sriram Sene members on Tuesday filed a complaint against actor Prakash Raj of making fun of India’s prestigious Chandrayaan 3 in his social media X account. The actor had posted a caricature showing Chandrayaan sending a photo of a man pouring tea.
Fourteen-day Moon mission
The lander and rover have a mission life of one lunar day, which is about 14 Earth days. Temperatures dip to as much as -1800C during lunar nights. However, there is an outside possibility of the lander and the rover coming back to life for another lunar day, claim scientists
Quick-fire experiments
“After powered descent on to the landing site, there will be deployment of ramp and rover coming out. After this all the experiments will take place one after the other — all of which have to be completed in just one day on the Moon, which is 14 (Earth) days,” ISRO chief Somanath said
