Sunita Williams’ ancestral village in Gujarat offers prayers, plans ‘Diwali like celebrations’ to welcome her return to Earth | India News

NASA Astronaut Sunita Williams, Ancestral village in GujaratMehsana district is preparing for “grand ceremony, similar to Diwali” on Wednesday morning, as it is ready to return to Earth after nine months of stay. International Space Station,
Villagers of Jhulason, ancestral house Sunita Williams’ Father, Deepak Pandya, is praying for their safety. Many people have offered special prayers and burnt an unbroken jyot (eternal flame) in the local temple of Goddess Dola Mata.
Deepak Pandya, who originally moved to the United States in 1957, from Jhulasan.
According to the news agency PTI, Williams’ cousin, Naveen Pandya, said that a grand procession will be organized to honor Williams. The festival will feature prayer mantras and fireworks, which will remind the celebrations of Diwali and Holi celebrations.
Pandya said, “The procession will be taken from a school to the temple with his photo, where ‘Akhand Jyot’ is placed, which includes students with others.”
Pandya said, “We will perform a tune (prayer chanting) in the temple. We were offering prayers and published the unbroken Jyot for his safe return. This Jyot will be introduced to Goddess Dola Mata after returning to Earth on Wednesday.”
He said that the villagers are eager to invite Williams to visit Jhulasan, with their enthusiasm, they are growing even more after the news of their third space mission.
He said, “The atmosphere here is a celebration, everyone eagerly feared his return. We will definitely invite him to visit Jhulasan in the future. This will be an honor among us in his ancestral village.”
Williams and Astronaut Buch Wilmore are concluding their extended migration at ISS, which are spread over nine months.
Their return journey through SpaceX follows an extended mission, initially planned for seven days, but for a long time due to technical issues with Boeing test flight.
Williams has established herself as a leading female astronaut, accumulating 62 hours in nine spacewalks, setting a record for women in space.