Gir Somnath, Oct 1 (IANS) : A special ‘Mahapuja’ was performed at the Somnath temple in Gujarat on Thursday for the “speedy recovery and long life” of flydubai Captain Smit Machchhar, who was seriously injured during an alleged cockpit attack on a Dubai-Tel Aviv flight.
An uninterrupted ‘Mahamrityunjaya Mantra chanting ritual’ was also started at the first Jyotirlinga, according to a statement issued in connection with the prayers.
The ritual was held seeking the health and recovery of Captain Machchhar, whose actions during the in-flight emergency have drawn widespread praise.
Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel said the special Mahapuja and an ‘Ayushya Mantra Jaap Anushthan’ at Somnath had been joined by the collective prayers of people across Gujarat and the country.
“The collective prayers of the entire Gujarat and all our countrymen are associated with this special Mahapuja and ‘Ayushya Mantra Jaap Anushthan’ being held at the first Jyotirlinga Shree Somnath Mahadev for the recovery of Captain Smit Machchhar,” CM Patel said in a post on social media platform X.
He prayed to Lord Somnath for Machchhar’s speedy and complete recovery and long life.
Machchhar was the captain of flydubai flight FZ1073, which was travelling from Dubai to Tel Aviv on September 30 with 174 passengers.
During the flight, he was allegedly attacked and stabbed by his co-pilot in the cockpit.
Despite being seriously injured, Machchhar managed to open the cockpit door, allowing passengers and crew members to enter and restrain the attacker.
The aircraft was subsequently diverted to Tabuk, Saudi Arabia, and landed safely. Reports said additional flydubai pilots travelling as passengers also assisted in taking control of the aircraft before the emergency landing.
Machchhar was taken to a hospital in Tabuk and has been reported to be in stable condition.
He has more than 9,750 hours of flying experience and joined flydubai in 2022 after spending around 11 years with SpiceJet.
The Gujarat government has already announced that Machchhar will be honoured with the ‘Vishisht Gujarat Garima Award’ for his courage and actions during the incident.
Sources in the Chief Minister’s Office also confirmed to IANS that a Rs 25 lakh cash reward has been announced for him.
The circumstances surrounding the cockpit confrontation and the motive behind the attack remain under investigation.
