Abhay K, a poet and diplomat, has written a “Moon Anthem” as India counts down to the highlight of its third lunar mission, “Chandrayaan-3,” the attempted soft landing on the south pole of the moon. The diplomat composed the national anthem in Antananarivo, the capital of Madagascar, in hopes that the lunar lander would successfully touch down on the moon’s south pole. The words “Celestial diamond, primeval timepiece” are the first ones in the anthem. Cosmic lamppost, gentle kiss of the night Oceans are being seduced, and the Silver Goddess of Light is hiding the Sun.
The anthem is an ode to India’s third lunar mission, which is tipped to set the tone for future explorations into deep space.
World-renowned violinist and composer Dr L Subramaniam will later set tunes for the ‘Moon Anthem’ and ace playback singer Kavita Krishnamurthy will lend vocals to it.
Abhay has penned anthems on all planets in the solar system. His ‘Earth Anthem’ has been translated into over 150 languages spoken globally and is widely sung to celebrate ‘Earth Day’ and the ‘World Environment Day’ every year.
On the attempted lunar landing on Wednesday, Abhay said, “It’s a matter of great pride and honour that India’s Chandrayaan-3 lander is soon going to make a soft landing on the Moon. It will be a dream coming true for a billion-and-a-half Indians. I hope the ‘Moon Anthem’ would help connect humanity to our closest celestial body, our constant companion in the universe.”