Odisha: Several babies named 'Chandrayaan' to celebrate India's Moon mission success

livemint.com:

Following India's Moon mission success, several babies, born in Odisha's Kendrapara district, were named 'Chandrayaan' by their parents in celebration of the achievement. At least four babies, three boys and a girl, who were born in the Kendrapara district hospital on Wednesday evening, were named Chandrayaan “It was a double delight. Our baby was born a few minutes after the successful landing of Chandrayaan-3 on the Moon.

We have decided to name the child after the lunar mission," said Pravat Mallick, father of one of those four babies. The local tradition is to name a baby on the 21st day of the birth after a puja. Mallick's wife, Ranu, from Aripada village, also plans to name her newborn son after Chandrayaan, India's lunar program.

She considers "Chandra" or "Luna" as alternatives, reflecting the moon's essence in each name's meaning. “Chandrayaan, however, is a stylish name. We will take a final decision on the 21st day puja," the mother smiled.

Durga Mandal of Talachua village, Joshnyarani Bal of Nilakanthapur and Bebina Sethi of Angulei village also delivered babies on Wednesday evening. While Durga’s baby is a girl, the two others are boys. “And, all new mothers are interested in naming their children after Chandrayaan," Anjana Sahoo, head nurse at Kendrapara government hospital, said Earlier, several children in the villages have been named after cyclones.

Additional District Medical Officer of the hospital, Dr P K Praharaj, said the parents feel privileged as their children were born at the country’s historic moment. “They want to celebrate India’s feat in the Moon mission by naming babies after Chandrayaan," the doctor said. (With agency inputs)