Indians across world pray for Chandrayaan-3's successful Moon landing
Indians around the world are offering prayers and conducting special rituals for the successful Moon landing of Chandrayaan-3. From a havan in Varanasi and namaz in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, to prayers in New Jersey, United States (US), Indians have their fingers crossed for the event, which would make India the fourth country to achieve a soft landing on the Moon. The Indian diaspora in the US and abroad hopes the mission will make India a global leader in space technology.
BJP, NCP leaders conduct havan
A Ganga Aarti was conducted at Parmarth Niketan Ghat in Uttarakhand's Rishikesh, while a Bhasma Aarti took place at Ujjain's Shree Mahakaleshwar Temple and a huge number of devotees gathered at Chhatarpur's Bageshwar Dham in Madhya Pradesh. Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Mohsin Raza prayed for Chandrayaan-3's success at Lucknow's Hazrat Shah Meena Shah Dargah, while Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leaders performed a havan at Shree Ganesh Mandir Tekdi in Maharashtra's Nagpur.
Srinagar residents offer special prayers at Hazratbal Dargah
Special prayers at Ajmer Sharif Dargah, Lucknow madrasa
Notably, the Moon holds significant cultural importance for both Muslim and Hindu communities, making this mission particularly special. Madrasa students participated in a special prayer at Darul Uloom Farangi Mahal Eidgah in Lucknow. Devotees also offered prayers at Rajasthan's Ajmer Sharif Dargah for Chandrayaan's successful lunar landing. Pakistani national Seema Haider, who has been in the news for illegally entering India via Nepal to marry his Indian lover, is reportedly fasting for Chandrayaan-3's success.
Singapore envoy also joins prayers
Singapore's High Commissioner to India, Simon Wong, also said he was "joining the billions of people in praying for the success of Chandrayaan-3." Students in Moradabad painted their faces and displayed posters in support of Chandrayaan-3's successful landing. Furthermore, Sudarsan Pattnaik, a Padma Shri recipient from Odisha, created sand art on Chandrayaan-3, which included the national flag and the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO)'s logo.
Chandrayaan-3 set to land on Wednesday evening
Chandrayaan-3 is set to land on the Moon's south pole on Wednesday at 6:04pm. The mission's primary objective is to explore the Moon's southern polar region, which is believed to contain frozen water or water ice. The lander module is currently searching for the ideal spot on the lunar surface for landing. The ISRO will telecast the landing operations live from 5:20pm on their website and their official YouTube and Facebook channels.
