Chandrayaan-3 landing a matter of pride for world: Indian diaspora in US

After a historic soft landing by the Chandrayaan-3 on the southern polar region of the Moon, the Indian diaspora erupted in celebrations at Times Square in New York City.

Members of the Indian diaspora were seen dancing to drum rolls and immersing in unbridled joy as the country became the first in the world to land on the uncharted lunar south face.

"Congratulations to the people of India for the great achievement of landing on the Moon. We are just thrilled today," a woman from Canada said at Times Square.

"It is a matter of pride not only for India but for the whole world..., " said Prem Bhandari, prominent diaspora leader and volunteer of Jaipur Foot USA, Rajasthan Association of North America (RANA) and Rescuing Every Distressed Indian Overseas.

Taking India to an elite club of nations, the Chandryaan-3 rover on Wednesday successfully performed a soft landing on the lunar South Pole.

Taking to its official handle on X, formerly Twitter, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) posted, "Chandrayaan-3 Mission: 'India, I reached my destination and you too!' Chandrayaan-3 has successfully soft-landed on the moon! Congratulations, India!"

After the successful landing, congratulatory messages poured in from across the world for the ISRO chief and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The spokesperson for the President of the United Nations General Assembly, Paulina Kubiak, hailed the successful touchdown of the 'Vikram' lander on the lunar South Pole, saying, "It is something that we kind of shared this morning. I mean, the president congratulates India. Obviously, it was within the OPGA office. Many of the Indian colleagues were celebrating that achievement."

The UAE President, Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, said, "The successful lunar landing of India's Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft represents a significant leap for collective scientific progress. I extend my heartfelt congratulations to Prime Minister @narendramodi and the people of India for this historic achievement in service of humankind."

EU President, Ursula von der Leyen posted on X, "Congratulations to @narendramodi for the successful landing of Chandrayaan-3. A historic milestone and a proud moment for the Indian people. India has become a true pioneer in space exploration. This Indian success will benefit researchers all over the world."

Spain Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez also hailed the ISRO feat on Wednesday, saying, "India's achievement opens up new horizons for humanity. This mission is another proof of the power of science and of the great opportunities it offers us to keep promoting scientific progress and research. Congratulations, @narendramodi!"

The 'Vikram' lander carrying the Pragyaan rover in its belly touched down on the lunar surface, marking a giant leap in India's spacefaring journey and providing a well-deserved finale to ISRO's long years of toil.

India entered record books as the first country to touch down on the south side of Earth's only natural satellite.

Special screenings of the soft landing were organised across the country, including schools science centres, and public institutions. ISRO made the live action available on the ISRO website, its YouTube channel, Facebook, and public broadcaster DD National TV.

The spacecraft was launched from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Andhra Pradesh's Sriharikota on July 14.