Varanasi (Uttar Pradesh) [India], August 9 : A team of sixteen scientists associated with the Chandrayaan mission visited the Kashi Vishwanath Temple on Saturday to offer prayers. The delegation presented two models of Chandrayaan to the temple and also performed rituals, including offering water at the Mukteshwar Dham shrine.
Vishwa Bhushan Mishra, CEO of the Kashi Vishwanath Mandir, commented on the visit, saying, "The team of 16 scientists associated with ISRO's Chandrayaan mission came to offer their prayers to Lord Vishwanath. They also presented a model of Chandrayaan to Lord Vishwanath and later offered water at Lord Mukteshwar's shrine."

Highlighting the deep connection between tradition and science, Mishra added, "In Sanatan Dharma, modern inventions and discoveries are always respected. The Moon holds a special bond with Lord Vishwanath as He wears it on His head. When we bow to the Moon, it is believed we are bowing to the Lord."
He further noted, "Today, these scientists came to pay respect to traditions that pave the way for modern thinking and discoveries. We planned everything for them... The two models they have offered will be kept in the Vishwanath museum, which will be constructed soon."
The team of sixteen scientists who visited the temple included Dinesh Kumar Singh, Director, Human Space Centre, Pankaj Killedar, Director, Master Control Facility, R Nadagouda, Associate Director, UR Rao Satellite Centre, K Shambayya, Deputy Director, Liquid Propulsion System Centre, Guru Murthy D, among others.
The team that visited Kashi Vishwanath temple was part of India's historic milestone achieved on August 23, 2023, when the Chandrayaan-3 lander successfully completed a soft landing on the Moon's surface, making India the fourth country to achieve this feat and the first to land on the lunar South Pole. In honour of this achievement, Prime Minister Narendra Modi declared August 23 as National Space Day, with the theme "Touching Lives While Touching the Moon: India's Space Saga."
Earlier, Union Ministers Hardeep Singh Puri, Nitin Gadkari, and Dr Mansukh Mandaviya have lauded ISRO's accomplishments, recalling India's journey from transporting rocket components on bullock carts to making historic space landings. They also highlighted upcoming missions, including Gaganyaan, and reiterated their pride in India's space scientists for shaping the nation.