KOLKATA: The family members of ISRO scientist Anuj Nandi, who designed the camera of Chandrayaan 3, are still celebrating the launch of the spacecraft and his success with other neighbours here at Islampur, a small town in West Bengal, a day after the rocket was launched.
Nandi’s 70-year-old mother who watched the launch is now praying that the equipment designed by her son works flawlessly on landing.
His cousin’s wife Rinku Nandi offered puja at the local Siddeshwari Mandir in Islampur in Uttar Dinajpur district on Friday.
“We watched the entire event on television. We are happy and feel proud that someone from our family is a team member of Chandrayan-3,” Rinku Nandi told PTI over the phone on Saturday.
Anuj’s younger cousin said Animesh Nandi said that though he does not know much about the subject or space mission, he could only understand that his elder cousin has achieved “something very big.”
Animesh’s 15-year-old son Aritra was also glued to the television when the spacecraft was launched from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota at 2.35 pm on Friday.
“He (Anuj) was here last month. I did not call him yesterday as it was a very important and busy day for him. I will call him later,” Animesh said.
Anuj Nandi, a resident of Islampur Ashrampara, went to Ambagan Primary School and then went on to study at Islampur High School, Animesh said.
He completed his graduation in a college in district headquarters Raiganj, and did his masters in physics from Jadavpur University in Kolkata.
Animesh, who runs a medical store in Islampur, said that his cousin was earlier posted in Kolkata and then was transferred to Bangalore a few years ago.
“I am very happy that a boy from such a small place as Islampur has made it to ISRO and contributed to the Chandrayan-three project.
I am elated. This is a rare kind of happiness; I do not feel the same way often,” said Bani Prasad Nag, a retired teacher at Islampur High School.
Nag, who superannuated in 2006, said he does not remember Anuj Nandi but he is pretty sure that he was in service when the ISRO scientist was a student in the school.