Sunita Williams is back on Earth, her ancestral Gujarati village is on the moon.
On Wednesday, March 19, 2025, NASA astronaut Sunita Williams returned safely to Earth after a nine-month stay on the International Space Station (ISS). Her safe return was celebrated with joy in her native village Jhulasan in Mehsana district of Gujarat. Villagers gathered at the government school and performed the traditional Gujarati folk dance 'Garba' and took out a procession to the temple of Goddess Dola Mata to celebrate Williams' return and thank the goddess for her blessings.
As the SpaceX capsule carrying Williams and her colleague Butch Wilmore landed near the Florida coast, villagers celebrated, burst firecrackers, danced and chanted "Har Har Mahadev" at the temple complex.
The villagers organised a 'Yagna' praying for Williams' safe return and lit an 'Akhand Jyot' (eternal flame) at the temple complex for her safe return.
The 'Akhand Jyot' was lit for his safe return soon after he went into space nine months ago and the people of the village have been performing 'Yagna' and maintaining the Akhand Jyoti during his mission.
The villagers, including students of Jhulasan Primary School, planned a grand procession in honour of Williams, which also included prayers and fireworks to create a festive atmosphere like Diwali and Holi.
A procession was taken out from the village school to the temple, where the 'Akhand Jyot' was placed, with students also joining in.
The 'Akhand Jyot' will be immersed after the procession reaches the temple.
Williams has visited India at least three times, including visits in 2007 and 2013 soon after his space mission, and has been awarded the Padma Bhushan in 2008.
His father was originally from Jhulasan, who moved to the United States in 1957.
Vishal Panchal, principal of Jhulasan Primary School, said elaborate arrangements were made for Wednesday's ceremony. Williams' space mission was initially scheduled to last seven days but was extended due to technical glitches. Her SpaceX capsule parachuted into the Gulf of Mexico just hours after taking off from the ISS. Williams, who completed 62 hours in nine space flights, holds the record for the woman astronaut who has spent the most time in space. Jhulasan, known as the ancestral home of Williams' father Deepak Pandya, was abuzz with excitement ever since the news of her long-awaited return from the ISS broke. Her cousin Naveen Pandya said the villagers have been praying for her safety and an 'akhanda jyot' (eternal flame) was lit to pray for her safe return soon after she went into space nine months ago. He said the villagers were eager to invite Williams to visit Jhulasan. Jhulasan village, with a population of about 7,000, is filled with memories of Williams's ties. A library named after his grandparents still exists, though in poor condition, and so does the ancestral house of his father, Deepak Pandya.