See pics: Shubhanshu Shukla's stunning timelapse of India goes viral

Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla delighted his followers by sharing a breathtaking timelapse video that captures the stunning view of India from the International Space Station (ISS), offering a rare glimpse of the country from orbit.

Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla gave his followers a sweet surprise by sharing a timelapse video of India as seen from the International Space Station (ISS) on X.

Shot from the ISS cupola window, the visuals trace its orbit from the Indian Ocean to India’s east coast.

Thunderstorm lightning lights up the monsoon-laden skies, followed by the deep darkness of the Himalayan range.

As the ISS moves ahead, the scene shifts into a brilliant sunrise, set against a sky full of stars.

In his post, Shukla expressed his wish for viewers to experience the video as if they were “seated in the cupola, seeing it with their own eyes.”

Describing it as a “mesmerising dance of natural elements,” Shukla mentioned that although monsoon clouds obscured much of India, he still caught glimpses of Bharat from orbit.

“Unfortunately, I was up there during the monsoon season and it was mostly cloudy, yet I managed to steal a few shots of Bharat, one of which you are seeing," the astronaut shared in his X post.

Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla returned to Earth on July 15 after a 28-hour journey to the International Space Station on June 26, 2025.