Maamaa... Maemustunnaaan (Maama/Chandamaama.. I am coming), was the title that greeted us the next morning at a restaurant in Sullurpete... Couple of friends (who met just a day before on this epic journey) exchanged heartfelt smiles at such a lovely and thoughtful title given to adviteeya (second to none) achievement of our humble scientists at ISRO...
The thought was of witnessing one ISRO launch from SriHariKota after seeing umpteen ISRO launches on YouTube and feeling elated with goosebumps every such instance..
This thought had got a response from my Sihi, "Aanu, how many more places are on your list? When would you be able to get to all of these??!!";
Some thoughts get an approval from Bhagavantha The Almighty/UP there and everything starts falling in place one after the other...
A call to Appa to get our friend's number who worked with Master Control Facility at Hassan...
Appa sending the number after a reminder..
I missing calling the number for almost every day for over a week..
Finally managing to message and call to hear that he is retiring in July, however, he would try to share details once ISRO announces the dates...
A couple of reminder WhatsApp messages and calls to hear "wait, nothing yet...." ...
Suddenly one morning, a lengthy message about Ladakh Science Foundation's Chandrayaan 3 launch visit and details...
A quick "To Go" confirmation from Sandhya as the date of travel coincided with Sihi's last test of that series....
Payment done, leaves applied, awaiting confirmation on seats... This wait lasted for three days!!
As soon as the confirmation came, we were filled with joy and then we all were in a state of unclear thoughts on what to expect, how to prepare and umpteen such unanswered queries.... These were results of not having witnessed anything of this nature ever.... Sometimes that confusion and lack of clarity gives you immense confidence; in Kannada it is called Huchchutana :)... Way out is as simple as let things happen on their own, at their pace and at a time those want to happen....
Bags were packed on the D-1, as we had to board the bus as soon as Sihi is back from school, Sandhya from office and I call it a day to work from home that day... and ironically, they happened in the same order!! We three were travelling in a bus together after a eons that evening...
Our wait at the designated place for the bus was greeted by Monsoon rain, forcing us to run for cover... and then that Thannn Thaann of the spatula hitting the kadhaai and irresistible fragrance of KadleKaayi Groundnut being fried in Maralu Sand hit us.... We three were relishing it together for the first time ever I believe.... Sandhya and I used to stop and munch when we were still waiting for Sihi way back then... Post that, this was the first... to our surprise, we finished two portions... and got three more portions filled in the same paper cones for the road....
Wait for the bus slowly became almost two hours.... and I had to login to this marathon five hour mandatory training call!! This made me miss all pleasantries while entering the bus to my sahaprayaanikaru co-passengers...
When I said HE plans everything, I firmly believe so....
Laptop needed charge, I fortunately found charging point just behind the driver, Jayaprakash shared name with my father ... that is when I got to interact with passengers in front seats, who were quite pleasant and kind enough to lend their helping hands... I found a seat next to two fantastically pocket sized pataakis who were curious about the laptop... Those two were THE best companions of the entire trip... at one point one said 'Uncle, Neevu thumbaa maataadteera/you talk a lot'... I was like 'Yaay, neen maataadiddakke naanu uttra kotte adhengo jaasti aaythu? Yaay.... I responded to your queries/talk, how did that become a lot?... That is the point when Bengaluru traffic was blessing us with the Clutch-Brake-Gear-Accelerator tests to the driver and the bus in descending order!!! It took more than 3 hours to cross Bengaluru to get to the highway.... However, our funny chit chat of more nonsense and less sense helped sahaprayaanikaru of first few rows and the driver not to react to the usual "Bengaluru Trafficcooooo..... Kharma" feeling and on the contrary enjoy the witty conversations of boys of 1st and 3rd standard.... The call ultimately ended while having dinner and I could speak with my family and the extension of it sitting all around us there... I was back with life...
Instructions were to be ready early in the morning to be at the launch site... Enthusiastic we and each one there were all wearing the Chandrayaan-3 t-shirts created and shared by the organisers.... Lots of tricolours, 'I love ISRO' banners and LSF banners made all of us to be identified and helped us to stick together too...
The stretch across Pulikat lake is beautiful with water on both sides and you could see many many birds... Since there were CRPF and police personnel preventing any traffic issues on that narrow stretch, we were directly taken to the parking area of SriHariKota's Satellite Launch Viewing Gallery... it was around 11 AM and the crowd had already started gathering... Scorching heat and driest land around were being ignored, such was the conviction of each around there to witness the once in a life time event...
Post several group photos with flags and banners, we started marching towards the gallery, it was a good 2 kilometres with two check posts... One at the very beginning of the march and one just before the gallery... The place was well equipped with drinking water, food carts etc on the outside... Inside there was AC and we were like "Yaay.... AC" and in that area were all accomplishments of ISRO displayed in every possible form... Since our aim was to secure a seat and to see the launch, we all briskly went to the gallery... a curved stadium like stepped structure that could hold at least 10,000 people.... first thing I did, asked the security personnel 'where is the launch vehicle?'.. they pointed me to a tree and three poles and told it is there, you could see it only after the take off...
Other things I found out, this place is 6.5 kilometers from the launch site... before the launch all ISRO personnel would be moved at least 3-6 kilometers from the launch site...
The wait seemed eternal since we were there almost 2.5 hours before the launch.... Slowly and steadily we started realising the organiser's idea of getting there early.... the place was packed to the tune of at least 15,000 to 18,000 just before the launch.... no space to go around anywhere... and the reverberating Bhaarat Maata Ki Jai, ISRO ki Jai, Vande Maataram, Jai Shri Ram, I-S-R-O ISRO were continuously getting chanted throughout.. A partial success was received for the ISRO Wave planned by the masters of ceremony....
Then came the moment, the BIG TV Screens around started showing the master control centre, count down timer...then the crowd went 10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1-0 with a near deafening loud cheer and everyone was waiting to get a glimpse.... the first glimpse came just around T+3, and then there were loudest of cheers, screams and reverberating Bhaarat Maata Ki Jai, ISRO ki Jai, Vande Maataram, Jai Shri Ram again...
Slowly we started witnessing vibrations where we were standing and the sound of the rocket... we standing 6.5 kilometers and feeling this made us realise why the ISRO SHAR residents and occupants are kept far away from the launch site..
The bliss of witnessing the dream and lack of words to describe it... A perfect combination which wouldn't help to blog that... I would suggest please travel for the next launch and see if you overcome this dreaded combination...
Visit to the SHAR the next day and the things we learnt about rockets... coming soon....
Ciao!!
