Sunita Williams' ancestral village in India plans 'Diwali like' celebration on her return to Earth

Residents of Jhulasan village in Gujarat's Mehsana district are preparing for a grand celebration akin to Diwali on Wednesday morning, as they await the return of NASA astronaut Sunita Williams after her nine-month mission at the International Space Station.

The villagers have kept Williams in their thoughts and prayers, eagerly anticipating her safe arrival back on Earth.

Jhulasan, known as the ancestral home of Williams' father, Deepak Pandya, is buzzing with excitement. Many villagers have been lighting an Akhand Jyot (eternal flame) and offering special prayers at the local temple dedicated to Goddess Dola Mata, PTI reported.


"We have organised a procession with Sunita Williams' photograph and will perform a dhun (prayer chanting) at the temple. We had been offering prayers and lighting the Akhand Jyot for her safe return. This Jyot will be offered to Goddess Dola Mata on Wednesday after her return to Earth," said Williams' cousin, Navin Pandya.

The community is not only focused on her return but is also looking forward to inviting Williams to visit her paternal village in the future.

"The atmosphere here is festive, with everyone eagerly anticipating her return. We will definitely invite her to visit Jhulasan in the future. It would be an honour to have her among us in her ancestral village," Pandya added.

This excitement has intensified with the news of Williams' third space mission. Williams, along with astronaut Butch Wilmore, is returning aboard SpaceX after an extended mission that originally was set for seven days but was prolonged due to a technical issue.

Having completed 62 hours across nine spacewalks, Williams holds the record for the most time spent spacewalking by a female astronaut.