New Delhi: Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, the first Indian to visit the International Space Station (ISS), told Prime Minister Narendra Modi during a live interaction that he had carried traditional Indian dishes like gajar ka halwa and aamras to space and shared them with fellow astronauts.

“I brought food items like gajar ka halwa and aamras along with me to space and have given them as a treat to my fellow astronauts,” Shukla said from the ISS, responding to the Prime Minister’s questions.

Prime Minister Modi, visibly moved, told him, “Today, you are away from our motherland, but you are the closest to the hearts of Indians... Aapke naam mein bhi shubh hai aur aapki yatra naye yug ka shubharambh bhi hai.”

Expressing the collective emotion of the nation, Modi added, “Right now, while we are speaking, the feelings of 140 crore Indians are connected with you. I stand here representing the excitement, pride, and hopes of every Indian. As you carry our national flag into outer space, I extend my heartfelt congratulations and wish you the very best for your mission.”

Shukla, who is part of the Axiom-4 mission and serves as its pilot, also shared his impression of seeing India from orbit. “India looks grand and bigger from space than it does on the map,” he said.

US astronaut Peggy Whitson leads the Axiom-4 mission as commander and includes mission specialists Sawosz Uznanski from Poland and Tibor Kapu from Hungary.