It may be little difficult to believe but the moon landing of 1969 captured the imagination of Indians as much as Americans or any other nation in the world. (Note: most Indians could not watch or hear the event live.)
Just about every aspect of the culture, education etc. was impacted by the event. It became a part of the language, Hindi film songs etc.
The enclosed picture celebrates the same celestial event.
It shows that a wedding is taking place in space and solemnizing priest is asking the couple to go to the moon for their honeymoon because the rock is not too far away. (Since there is no native word for honeymoon in Marathi language, the English word honeymoon is translated as honey+moon!).
Bride and groom are shown like comets.
Comet Bennett had graced the earth in 1970. My mother woke me up at pre-dawn and brought me down from our first floor bedroom to the street in front of our Miraj house to show the magnificent spectacle in the sky. I have never forgot the scene.
Sky was overwhelmed by the comet. (I have often felt since my mother died in 2006 that her influence on me is like a great comet or comet Bennett. )
The artist is the late Shyam Joshi and the publication is Marathi magazine "Vangmay Shobha", Diwali, 1975, price is INR 6/-.
