Chandrayaan-3 to be replicated in Kolkata Durga puja pandal

Kolkata: Chandrayaan-3 will come down to a Durga Puja marquee in Kolkata, as its organisers will replicate India’s successful moon mission to enthral pandal hoppers.

In the pandal, the goddess will be seen standing inside a replica of the ‘Vikram’, the lander of Chandrayaan-3. A model of the rover ‘Pragyan’ will also be there.

“This is how we want to celebrate Durga Puja. We wanted to show our respect to all scientists of ISRO and how all are proud of their achievement,” Anirban Roy, a member of Netaji Sporting Club said while speaking to PTI.

The country scripted history on August 23 as the ambitious third Moon mission of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) touched down on the Moon's south pole, propelling the country to an exclusive club of four and making it the first nation to land on the uncharted surface.

The puja committee has named the theme ‘Chandralok-e Uma’ (Goddess Durga on the Moon).

The theme has been conceptualised by all members of the club and they did not hire any artist to give shape to their concept, Roy said.

After entering the pandal, one will see a replica of the rocket, used by ISRO for carrying out the Chandrayaan-3 mission, on top of the entry gate. The visitor will then enter a tunnel to reach the main area where the goddess will be placed.

Photographs of various scientists along with some information about them will be displayed on the walls of the tunnel. Finally, when people step inside the main 'mandap', through visual effects, they will get to see the landing of Vikram on one side, while on the other side, the earth’s view from the moon can be seen.

The model of the rover Pragyan will also be placed beside Vikram.

People will get a feeling that they are on the surface of the moon and looking at the lander, Roy said.

While the traditional idol of goddess Durga is being made by artist Nemai Pal, the pandal is designed by the organisers of the puja.

Every year, several puja organisers in West Bengal choose a theme, mainly social issues, and use their pandals, idols and lighting arrangements to depict it.