Indian village prays for astronaut Sunita Williams' safe return
A group of women in Jhulasan have been offering daily prayers for Sunita Williams
- Published
American astronauts Sunita Williams and Barry Wilmore have been stuck in space for 107 days and the earliest they can return to Earth is in February. People in Williams' ancestral village in India have been praying for her safe return. 大象传媒 Gujarati's Roxy Gagdekar Chhara reports.
Residents of Jhulasan in the western Indian state of Gujarat take pride in the fact that Williams has a connection with their village.
The village was once home to Williams' father and grandparents. The astronaut visited the village three times - 1972, 2007 and 2013 - after successful space missions.
Wilmore, 61, and Williams, 58, took off for an eight-day mission on 5 June but got stuck on the International Space Station (ISS) after their Boeing Starliner spacecraft experienced problems. They will now return to Earth in February 2025 with SpaceX.
In Jhulasan, locals hold daily prayers for Williams' safe return, keeping an oil lamp burning as a symbol of their hopes. For her 59th birthday on Thursday, they've organised a space-themed exhibition, hoping she'll visit again after another successful mission.
Williams' ancestral home still exists in the village
Jhulasan, a village of 7,000, is filled with memories of Williams' ties. A library named after her grandparents still stands, though in poor condition, as is her father Deepak Pandya's ancestral home. Pandya, a neuroscientist, died in 2020.
A school, which Williams' had donated funds to during one of her visits, has a picture of her grandparents in the prayer hall. When Williams was felicitated at the school in 2007, her relative Kishore Pandya got a chance to meet her.
鈥淚 went to her and said with my limited knowledge of English, 'I am your brother'. She shook hands with me and said, 'Oh! My brother!' I still cherish that moment,鈥 he said.
Williams' father moved to the US to pursue higher studies in 1957. There, he met and married Ursuline Bonnie, and they had Williams in 1965.
Seven years later, the family visited Jhulasan for the first time since Deepak Pandya had left. It was a moment of celebration for the village and they gave a warm welcome to the family by taking them around in a procession.
Sunita Williams in a traditional Indian turban during her visit to Gujarat in 2007
Bharat Gajjar, 68, who used to work as a carpenter back then, recalled the event fondly. 鈥淚 still remember a young Sunita and others riding on camels as they toured the village," he said.
Madhu Patel is among a group of women who offer daily prayers at a local temple for Williams.
鈥淲e are proud of her achievements. Nasa and the government should do whatever they can to bring our daughter back safely,鈥 Ms Patel said.
While they wait for her return, her work and words continue to be a source of inspiration to many. Manthan Leuva, who is studying for a banking exam, recalls one of Williams' speeches.
"She said 'love what you do and you will get success'. I find that thought deeply inspiring," he said.