Drums, Tricolour & A Moment Of Pride: Lucknow Welcomes Astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla Home

Last Updated:August 25, 2025, 14:51 IST

Shukla, who completed his 18-day mission aboard the International Space Station as part of NASA’s Axiom-4 crew, returned to Lucknow for the first time in nearly a year-and-a-half

Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla gets a hero's welcome in Lucknow. (News18)

It was not an ordinary Monday morning in Lucknow, but one etched into history. Drums, chants, and a sea of waving tricolours welcomed Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, the city’s own astronaut, as he returned from his 18-day mission aboard the International Space Station (ISS) as part of NASA’s Axiom-4 crew after carrying India’s pride to the skies.

Shukla returned to Lucknow for the first time in nearly a year-and-a-half, making his homecoming as momentous as his journey beyond the earth’s orbit. The atmosphere at Chaudhary Charan Singh International Airport was charged with energy and emotion on Monday. Thousands of people, many holding the tricolour, gathered since early morning to catch a glimpse of the man who had journeyed to Space. Ten schoolchildren dressed as astronauts stood in the front rows, their gleaming silver suits reflecting the rising sun, embodying the aspirations of millions of young Indians.

When Shukla finally emerged from the terminal in his crisp Air Force uniform, the airport exploded with chants of “Bharat Mata ki Jai" and “Vande Mataram". Drums and nagadas reverberated, drowning out the sound of aircraft engines, as flower petals rained down from the gallery above.

Uttar Pradesh BJP president Bhupendra Singh Chaudhary, who welcomed Shukla personally, said the latter had taken India’s honour to the stars. Calling him a symbol of the country’s scientific strength, he said: “Today, the entire state is proud and overjoyed. Lucknow is blessed to call him its son."

Deputy chief minister Brajesh Pathak described the day as one of “immense pride". “Every young person in Uttar Pradesh is looking up to him today. His journey shows us that with courage and determination, even the skies are not the limit," he added.

Mayor Sushma Kharkwal, who too reached the airport to receive Shukla, called it “a historic day for Lucknow". “Every mohalla, every school, every household feels personally connected to Shubhanshu’s success," she said, adding that Shukla had put the city on the world map and every child sees in him the possibility of fulfilling their own dreams.

Shukla’s homecoming turned emotional when he saw his mother and sister at the airport who welcomed him with moist eyes. His sister Shuchi said, “It’s indeed a pride moment for all of us. He has given hope not only to his family but to every child in our neighbourhood. If my brother, from these very lanes, can reach the stars, then no dream is impossible."

After the grand welcome ceremony, his victory parade rolled out, the cavalcade of cars making its way through Gomti Nagar Extension to G-20 Chowk, cheered on by crowds lining the route where City Montessori School, his alma mater, organised a grand felicitation in his honour. Soon after he was slated to visit his alma mater again for a road show before heading to a civic felicitation programme. Later in the day, he was expected to call on chief minister Yogi Adityanath at Lok Bhawan, where a formal state reception awaited him. His family confirmed that the astronaut would remain in Lucknow for three days, allowing both the government and the people to celebrate their hero in full measure.

Lucknow had been preparing for this day for weeks. The municipal corporation re-laid roads, cleaned drains, and gave facelifts to entire stretches of Shukla’s locality. “It was like an exercise on a war footing," said local resident Himanshu Vajpayee. “Teams worked through the night to make the mohalla shine for the man who brought glory to us all."

On August 18, Prime Minister Narendra Modi personally met Shukla in Delhi, congratulating him and engaging in a 20-minute conversation about his time in orbit. Monday’s events, however, marked his first official recognition in his home city—making the day as significant for Lucknow as it was for the nation.

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First Published:

August 25, 2025, 11:00 IST

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