Tue Mar 18 11:45:05 UTC 2025: ## Gujarat Village Celebrates Diwali-Style Homecoming for Astronaut Sunita Williams
**Jhulasan, Gujarat –** The ancestral village of NASA astronaut Sunita Williams in Gujarat is preparing for a Diwali-like celebration on Wednesday to welcome her return to Earth after a nine-month mission at the International Space Station (ISS). Villagers in Jhulasan, the home of Williams’ father, Deepak Pandya, have been praying for her safe return, maintaining an eternal flame at the local Dola Mata temple.
A grand procession, featuring a photograph of Williams, prayer chanting, and fireworks, is planned to mark the occasion. Navin Pandya, Williams’ cousin, stated that the festivities will mirror the celebrations of Diwali and Holi. The Akhand Jyot (eternal flame), kept burning throughout her mission, will be offered to the Goddess Dola Mata upon her safe landing.
The villagers are eager to invite Williams to visit Jhulasan in the future, expressing their pride in her achievements. This is Williams’ third space mission, adding to the excitement in her ancestral village. Her father migrated to the United States in 1957.
Williams, along with astronaut Butch Wilmore, is returning to Earth aboard a SpaceX craft after a mission initially planned for seven days but extended due to a technical issue. Their return follows a failed Boeing test flight. Williams holds the record for the most cumulative spacewalk time by a female astronaut, with over 62 hours across her career.
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