Today, the 2 biggest events in the history of India will be etched in Golden letters whether we succeed or come closer to achieving it.
You are reading it right. Today is the day when India is going to make history. An Indian boy from the Southern part of India, Chennai, Tamilnadu, is in the finals of the World Chess Cup and is aiming to win it for India. Also, today is the day when the Indian Space Research (ISRO) mission Chandrayaan-3 Vikram Lander plans to land on the South Pole of the Moon.
Vikram Lander
Praggnanandhaa
What is the big deal about it?
It is indeed a great moment for India because it is the World No. 29 Indian Grandmaster who is just 18 years old and is competing with World No. 1 in the World Chess Cup final. The last time an Indian went to the World Chess Cup final was 21 years ago, a feat achieved by Vishwanathan Anand in 2002 in Hyderabad, India.
India’s Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) Chandryaan -3 mission is the first mission by any country where its lander named Vikram is attempting to land near the south polar region of the Moon.
There will be tremendous pressure of expectations on both GrandMaster Praggnanandhaa and Vikram Lander. Praggnanandhaa has to defy Magnus Carlsen’s attempts, and Vikram Lander has to defy Moon’s gravitational pull and manage to soft-land on Moon.
How had the Journey begun?
Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee announced the Chandrayaan project on course on 15 August 2003. ISRO, with its hundreds of scientists, proposed the project idea in April 2003, and within months Indian Government approved it.
Chandrayaan-1 got launched on 22 October 2008. India could insert the vehicle into lunar orbit on 8 November 2008. Chemical and mineralogical mapping of the Lunar surface also was achieved.
Chandryaan-2 attempted a vehicle launch from the space station on 22 July 2019. Lunar orbital insertion happened on 22 August 2019, but on 6 September 2019 did not succeed in landing Vikram lander, as it crashed onto the Moon’s surface while attempting to land.
The Chandryaan-3 mission Vikram lander is attempting to soft land on 23 August 2023 at 18:04 (IST), and millions of Indians await to see the most crucial moment in Indian history.
The Journey of Praggnanandhaa is no fairy tale either. His relentless hard work and dedication have put him on the grand stage. Born on 10 August 2005, the Grandmaster from Chennai started winning World tournaments when he was not even 8 years. Now, 18 years old, he is about to play his 2nd match against 32-year-old Magnus Carlsen in World Chess Cup 2023 Final.
Praggnanandhaa doesn’t generally express emotions. But his hard work can be seen through the emotions in his mother’s eyes, who watches her child win in the top tournament.
Indian flag will wave in a sense of pride for the dedication of ISRO and Praggnanandhaa. They will inspire millions of Indians to dream big and go for it.
