Prayer on lips, ground celebration: Gujarat village, ancestor of Santa Williams, plans for “deepavali”

Hindu pastors, teachers and students return safely on Tuesday, March 18, 2025 at an astronaut Sunita Williams in Ahmedabad. Image source: PTI

Praying on their lips, residents of NASA astronaut Sunita Williams’s ancestral village in Gujarat are waiting for her safety to return to Earth and are planning to commemorate the occasion on Wednesday (18 March 2025).

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Ms. Williams plans to return to Earth after nine months of stay in the International Space Station.

Residents pray for stranded NASA astronaut Suni’Suni Williams, in a temple in her ancestral village, Jhulasan, about 50 kilometers from Ahmedabad on March 18, 2025. NASADuo Williams and Barry “Barry “Butch” Butch” spent several months in space on March 18, and then in space on March 18. |Photo source: AFP

She has been waiting eagerly for her safe return in the thoughts and prayers of the villagers. The village of Jhulasan in Mehsana district, known as the ancestral home of Williams’ father Deepak Pandya, is full of excitement.

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The villagers have been praying for her safety, taking care of “Akhand jyot,” which is the return of her safety ignited the eternal flame shortly after she went to space nine months ago.

According to Williams’ cousin, Navin Pandya, a big parade will be held in her honor and accompanied by prayers and fireworks to create a festive atmosphere similar to Sivalli and Holi Festival. People will carry photos of Williams in the parade.

“The parade with her photos will be taken from a school to the temple, where ‘Akhand Jyot’ is preserved, and students join others. We will perform Dhun (Prayer Recitation) in the temple,” Pandya said on Tuesday.

Indian American astronaut Sunita Williams visited her embrace a woman while visiting her ancestral village Jhulasan in the Mehsana district of Gujarat on Thursday. |Photo source: PTI

He said the villagers had been offering prayers and ignited the “Akhand Jyot” to get the astronauts back safely. “After Williams arrives safely on Earth, ‘Akhand Jyot’ will be ignited,” he said.

The villagers have been excited since Williams ventured on her third mission. They are now looking forward to inviting her to visit Mount Jura.

Pandya added: “The atmosphere here is festive and everyone is eagerly looking forward to her return. We will definitely invite her to visit Jurasan in the future. It is an honor to be among her in her ancestors’ village.”

American astronaut Sunita Williams (R) provided candy to uncle Dineshbhai Raval after performing a Hindu ritual at Dola Mataji Temple in her born Jhulasan Village, who was born on April 4, 2013, about 50 kilometers from Ahmedabad. Image source: AFP

Sunita Williams’ father, Deepak Pandya, originally from Jhulasan, immigrated to the United States in 1957. Williams returned to Earth after spending more than nine months on the International Space Station with astronaut Butch Wilmore.

Jhulasan Primary School Principal Vishal Panchal said that careful arrangements have been made for the celebration. He said: “Sunita Williams is the daughter of our village. She is the pride of our village, India and the world.”

According to Mr Panchal, students in elementary and high school have been offering prayers for the past 15 days and shouting “Ram Dhun” for her safe return to Earth.

Mr Panchal said that after her mission to return to Earth, students and villagers lit up “Akhand Jyot” at Dhola Mata Temple.

Williams’s other cousin, Kishor Pandya, said he encountered twice during his visit to the Jura Mountain Village in 2006 and 2013.

Another villager, Vipul Sharma, said extensive preparations for the celebration were underway.

“Everyone in the village is praying for her safety. After visiting the village in the future, people here will join the parade and organize a rally in the temple to welcome her.”

Ms. Williams returned to Earth after spending more than nine months on the International Space Station (ISS) with astronaut Butch Wilmore.

Their mission was originally scheduled to last for 7 days and was expanded due to technical failures. Two astronauts returned to SpaceX after a dramatic marathon mission began, which began with a failure in Boeing’s test.

Williams completed 62 hours of work on nine spacewalks, keeping records for the most time a female astronaut took.