Prayers, parties, student shows planned in India for moon landing

FILE PHOTO: A young woman takes a selfie along with a cutout of the Chandrayaan 3 Launch Vehicle Mark-III outside a temple in Mumbai, India, July 14, 2023. REUTERS/Francis Mascarenhas/File Photo

NEW DELHI (Reuters) - Excitement rose in India on Tuesday on the eve of a much-anticipated moon landing, with prayers held for its success, schools marshalling students to watch a live telecast of the event and space enthusiasts organising parties to celebrate.

The Indian Space Research Organisation's (ISRO) Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft is scheduled to land on the lunar south pole at 1234 GMT on Wednesday, days after the failure of a Russian vehicle trying to achieve the same feat.