Shiv Shakti point is the name given by India to the landing site of the Chandrayaan-3 lunar lander, which touched down about 600 km away from the South pole of the Moon on 23 August 2023. The site was named on 26 August 2023 at the ISTRAC headquarters in Bengaluru after India became the first country to make a successful soft landing on the South Pole of Moon and fourth country to make a successful soft landing on the surface of Moon. The point is located on the coordinates 69.367621°S 32.348126°E and lies between Manzinus C and Simpelius N craters.
Etymology
The name Shiv Shakti is derived from the names Shiva, who is one of the principal Hindu deities and Shakti, the divine feminine energy, who is often depicted as the consort of Shiva.
Announcement
The name was announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on August 26, 2023 while meeting ISRO scientists in Bangalore. Prime Minister Modi noted that the selection of “Shiva-shakti” was based on concept of “Shiva” as humanitarian determination and “Shakti” as the capability to actualize these humanitarian ambitions, while further noting that “Shakti” is also a tribute to the women scientists.
Reception
The naming of the point as “Shiv Shakti”, sparked political row in India. It was compared with the Jawahar Point . General people loved the name while the opposition leader Rashid Alvi showed critism against the naming.
However, ISRO chairman S Somanath said that there is no room for controversy over the naming, and that there have been precedents of names being assigned to lunar features. “It’s not the first time such name has been given. Indian names are already there. We have a Sarabhai crater on the Moon. Each country can give their names. Naming is a tradition. There is no controversy over the matter,” he said.