Chandrayaan-2: Special puja performed at Tamil Nadu temple for success of Isro’s moon mission

THANJAVUR: A

special puja

was performed at Chandranar temple at

Thingalur

in Thanjavur district of Tamil Nadu on Monday for the success

Chandrayaan-2

. GSLV Mk-III carrying the spacecraft for the

moon mission

will lift off from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota at 2.43pm today.

The presiding deity of Chandranar temple is Soma (moon). However, the main idol at the temple is that of Kailasanathar (Lord Shiva). The temple, which is located on the Kumbakonam-Thiruvaiyaru Main Road, is considered one of the nine navagraha temples in Tamil Nadu.

A special puja was performed to Soma. Since Monday is a special day for Chandran (moon), devotees offered raw rice pudding mixed with jaggery. They offered white flowers, as well.

A large number of people participated in the puja and prayed for the successful launch of Chandranyan-2.

The mission was earlier planned for July 15. However, the launch was aborted -- almost an hour before the planned 2.51am lift-off -- after Isro scientists identified a glitch while filing helium in the cryogenic engine of the rocket.


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