Sunita Williams’ ancestral village in Gujarat’s Mehsana district celebrates her homecoming with firecracker celebrations and...

Residents of NASA astronaut Sunita Willaims’ ancestral village in Gujarat’s Mehsana district burst into celebrations on Wednesday morning as a SpaceX capsule carrying her and her colleague Butch Wilmore splashed down off the Florida coast.

All eyes were on Willaims’s safe return as those in Jhulasan gathered at a village temple to view the event live on a television screen. As soon as she landed, residents celebrated the moment by bursting firecrackers, dancing, and chanting ‘Har Har Mahadev’.

Williams has been in the thoughts and prayers of the villagers, who were eagerly awaiting her safe return. Even as Willaims was on her way back, the villagers gathered at the temple, performed ‘yagna’, and offered prayers. They said they had been performing yagna and had lit up ‘Akhand Jyot’ (eternal flame) on the premises for her safe return.

Jhulasan, known as the ancestral home of Williams’ father, Deepak Pandya, was alive with excitement ever since the news of her proposed return, after a delayed stay at the International Space Station (ISS) around nine months ago, trickled in.

Navin Pandya, her cousin, said that the villagers have been praying for her safety, taking care of the 'Akhand Jyot,' the eternal flame that was lit up for her safe return soon after she went to space over nine months ago.

He said the villagers have planned a grand procession in her honour, accompanied by prayer chanting and fireworks to create a festive atmosphere similar to Diwali and Holi.

A procession will be taken out from the village school to the temple where the ‘Akhand Jyot’ has been kept, with students joining the celebrations, he said. The 'Akhand Jyot' will be immersed after the procession reaches the temple, he said. “We have organised a procession with Sunita Williams’ photograph and will perform a dhun (prayer chanting) at the temple,” said Pandya. He said the villagers are looking forward to inviting Williams to visit Jhulasan.

Williams has visited India at least thrice, including in 2007 and 2013, soon after her space missions and has been honoured with the Padma Bhushan in 2008. Her father, originally from Jhulasan, migrated to the United States in 1957.

Vishal Panchal, principal of Jhulasan Primary School, said elaborate arrangements have been made for Wednesday’s celebrations. Williams’ space mission was initially scheduled to last seven days but got extended due to a technical glitch. Her SpaceX capsule parachuted into the Gulf of Mexico, just hours after departing the ISS.

Williams, who has completed 62 hours over nine spacewalks, holds the record for the most time spent spacewalking by a female astronaut.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by DNA staff and is published from PTI)