Udaipur: Hundreds of residents and tourists were enthralled not only to see the 'Moon' so close but also to feel its magnificence. They posed in various positions, some danced, some pretended to hold it on palm and carry on shoulders, while others kissed under the massive structure and rejoiced.
On Tuesday, the Museum of the Moon landed in Udaipur where it was showcased at the City Palace's Moti Chowk. It will stay in the sky till Wednesday night, the promoters said. The art work created by artist Luke Jerram is being promoted by British Council, an international organization working for cultural relations and educational opportunities.
The 23-feet wide replica of the moon has been made from NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter camera in collaboration with UK Space Agency and University Of Bristol and the Association for Science and Discovery Centres.
Giving details of the artwork to media, country director of British Council Alan Gemmell said, “2018 marks the 70 years of the organization in India and the end of the UK-India Year of Culture. We have been inspired everyday of the last 7 decades by the artists, students, scientists and policy makers we've worked across India".
The Museum of Moon has so far travelled to 30 countries and this month it is touring India. Five surprise destinations had been chosen for its public display.
After Bangluru and Mumbai, Udaipur is the third city where it has come, Alan informed. The Museum of Moon is half a million times smaller than the real moon- meaning one centimeter of it represents 5 kilometers of lunar surface.
Apart from the unique visual spectacle, the Museum of Moon has music from award winning British composer Dan Jones. After Udaipur, the replica would travel to Delhi and Kolkata
The moon has been made of special nylon-plastic fibre by a hot air balloon manufacturing company.Without air, it weighs 40 kilograms and is transported in a special container from city to city while the inflated moon weighs some 140 kgs.
On the reason for chosing a Moon replica, Alan said that for eons, the moon has impacted societies and cultures. It is worshipped as deity and timekeeper, and has inspired artists, poets, writers and musicians worldwide.
“Before gas lamps and electricity, the moon was the only night time source of light and now people living in cities, illuminated by electricity, are disconnected from the moon. Hence the project aims to restore a sense of wonder, inspire questions, and reconnect people with the night sky," he added.
“People are so emotionally connected with the Moon and we get various feed backs and responses from every place we go. The cutest reaction has been from a small kid who asked us to send the moon back to the sky once we are done with the exhibition," Alan said.
