LIVE | Chandrayaan-3 touchdown point will be called Shiv Shakti, says PM in Bengaluru

Prime Minister Narendra Modi flew down to Bengaluru on Saturday directly from the Greek capital of Athens to interact with ISRO scientists on the successful Chandrayaan-3 mission and announced the decision to name the place where lander 'Vikram' touched down on the lunar surface as "Shiva Shakti Point".

Terming the success of Chandrayaan-3 missionan 'extraordinary moment' in the history of India's India's space programme, he said the place where the Chandrayaan-2 lander crash-landed on the Moon's surface in 2019 would be known as "Tiranga Point".

August 23, the day the Chandrayaan-3 lander touched down on the lunar surface, would be celebrated as "National Space Day", said the Prime Minister, who turned emotional while addressing the team ISRO at ISRO Telemetry Tracking and Command Network (ISTRAC) here, as he lavishly praised them for their dedication and passion. ISRO Chairman S Somanath briefed him about the Chandrayaan-3 mission

"Landed in Bengaluru. Looking forward to interacting with our exceptional @isro scientists who have made India proud with the success of Chandrayaan-3! Their dedication and passion are truly the driving forces behind our nation's achievements in the space sector," the PM said in a post on 'X'.

The Prime Minister returned after concluding his four-day tour of South Africa and Greece. Modi attended the 15th BRICS Summit in Johannesburg from August 22 to 24.

"He (Modi) reached Bengaluru directly after his visit to South Africa and Greece", an official said.

On Wednesday evening as the Lander Module of Chandrayaan-3 mission successfully touched down on the lunar surface, Modi had joined the ISRO team at Mission Operations Complex (MOX) at ISTRAC virtually from South Africa.