• Source:JND
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Sunita Williams' Homecoming:  Locals of Jhulasan, the ancestral village of Indian-origin NASA astronaut Sunita Williams, in Gujarat’s Mehsana district lit up the village on Wednesday to commemorate her safe homecoming. The festivities featured fireworks, sweets distribution, dancing, and prayers to the local god.

Following the announcement of her delayed return from the ISS, excitement has been growing in Jhulasan, the ancestral home of Williams' father, Deepak Pandya.

The people were ecstatic when a SpaceX spacecraft carrying Williams and astronaut Butch Wilmore, after their nine-month stint at the ISS, touched down near the Florida coast in the United States. They yelled "Har Har Mahadev," danced, and let off firecrackers.

Residents of Jhulasan gathered in one location to watch the event live on television as Williams' landing approached in the early hours of Wednesday.

On social media platform X, videos of firecrackers lighting up the sky in the early hours of Wednesday have been making the rounds. As news of Williams' arrival spread, the people were spotted dancing.

Garba, a traditional Gujarati folk dance, was performed by students from the local government school as part of the festivities. They also carried Williams' picture in a parade to the adjacent shrine dedicated to Goddess Dola Mata. The students sang, danced, and handed out sweets as the procession moved from the school to the temple.

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The parade and the prayers at the temple were a means to express gratitude for Williams' safe return, and teachers and residents stated their prayers to the goddess had been answered.

Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel also congratulated Williams via a post on X, saying, “We, in India, take immense pride in Sunita’s connection to our land, celebrating her as a shining example of our shared heritage and aspirations."

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