{"id":835121,"date":"2025-03-19T08:11:51","date_gmt":"2025-03-19T13:11:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/2025\/03\/19\/sunita-williams-india-connection-capturing-kumbh-mela-from-space-carrying-a-ganesh-idol-aboard-the-iss\/"},"modified":"2025-03-19T08:11:51","modified_gmt":"2025-03-19T13:11:51","slug":"sunita-williams-india-connection-capturing-kumbh-mela-from-space-carrying-a-ganesh-idol-aboard-the-iss","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/2025\/03\/19\/sunita-williams-india-connection-capturing-kumbh-mela-from-space-carrying-a-ganesh-idol-aboard-the-iss\/","title":{"rendered":"Sunita Williams\u2019 India connection: Capturing Kumbh Mela from space, carrying a Ganesh idol aboard the ISS"},"content":{"rendered":"

Home<\/a><\/span>India News<\/a><\/span>Science News<\/a><\/span>Sunita Williams\u2019 India connection: Capturing Kumbh Mela from space, carrying a Ganesh idol aboard the ISS<\/span><\/p>\n

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Her cousin, Falguni Pandya, in an interview with News18, spoke about Williams\u2019 deep connection to India, from carrying a Ganesh idol to space to her ancestral village in Gujarat organising prayers for her safe return.<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n
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\"ProfileBy Anand Singha <\/span><\/a>\u00a0<\/g><\/clipPath><\/defs><\/svg>\u00a0<\/a>March 19, 2025, 12:25:13 AM IST (Updated)<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\"Sunita<\/p>\n

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As NASA astronaut Sunita Williams are on their way back to Earth, her Indian roots remain a significant part of her journey. During her nine-month stay aboard the International Space Station (ISS), Williams stayed connected to her culture\u2014even capturing an iconic view of the Kumbh Mela from space.<\/p>\n

\nHer cousin, Falguni Pandya, in an interview with News18, spoke about Williams\u2019 deep connection to India, from carrying a Ganesh idol to space to her ancestral village in Gujarat organising prayers for her safe return.<\/p>\n

Ganesh idol in space<\/strong><\/p>\n

\nWilliams, who has spent over nine months aboard the International Space Station (ISS)<\/a>, took a Ganesh idol with her, keeping it by her side throughout her mission. Sharing a glimpse of her spiritual side, Pandya noted how she even sent a picture of the idol floating in microgravity to her family.<\/p>\n

ALSO READ: What happens next? Sunita Williams’ recovery and challenges after 9-month space stay<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

Family\u2019s special prayers<\/strong><\/p>\n

\nBack on Earth, Williams\u2019 relatives are eagerly awaiting her return. Her cousin, Falguni Pandya, currently in New Jersey, revealed that the family has planned a special prayer and havan at a temple to mark the occasion. \u201cWe are eagerly waiting for her return. We have planned a special prayer and havan at the temple to celebrate,\u201d Pandya said.<\/p>\n

Love for Indian culture and food<\/strong><\/p>\n

\nWilliams has long embraced her Indian heritage, and her fondness for Indian cuisine is no exception. Pandya mentioned that once she is back, the family plans to visit India together. \u201cSunita loves Indian food, we will visit India again once she returns,\u201d she added.<\/p>\n

A space view of Kumbh Mela<\/strong><\/p>\n

\nWilliams\u2019 curiosity about Indian traditions was evident when her cousin visited the Kumbh Mela in February. \u201cWhen I shared my pictures of the Kumbh Mela with her, she sent me a picture from space. It was an iconic picture of the Kumbh Mela,\u201d Pandya recalled.<\/p>\n

You can follow our live blog for the latest details on her descent to Earth.<\/em><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

Ties with Gujarat and PM Modi<\/strong><\/p>\n

\nWilliams\u2019 connection to India extends beyond her family. She and her father met Narendra Modi in 2007 when he was Gujarat\u2019s Chief Minister and later in the United States after he became Prime Minister. \u201cSunita is a proud daughter of Gujarat, and her village, Jhulasan, is celebrating her return,\u201d Pandya noted.<\/p>\n

Village celebrations in Jhulasan<\/strong><\/p>\n

\nIn Jhulasan, the ancestral village of Williams\u2019 father, residents have been keeping an \u2018Akhand Jyot\u2019 (eternal flame) burning since she left for space. The flame will remain lit until she safely returns.<\/p>\n

\nThe village is also planning a grand celebration in her honour, with a procession that will include prayer chanting, fireworks, and students joining the march. \u201cWe will perform a dhun (prayer chanting) at the temple,\u201d said Navin Pandya, another cousin.<\/p>\n

\nAs Williams makes her journey back to Earth, the prayers and celebrations across continents reflect her deep-rooted connection to her Indian heritage.<\/p>\n

With additional inputs from agencies<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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First Published:\u00a0<\/p>\n

Mar 19, 2025 12:13 AM<\/p>\n

IST<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n

Read More<\/a>
\n Anand Singha<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Home India News Science News Sunita Williams\u2019 India connection: Capturing Kumbh Mela from space, carrying a Ganesh idol aboard the ISS Her cousin, Falguni Pandya, in an interview with News18, spoke about Williams\u2019 deep connection to India, from carrying a Ganesh idol to space to her ancestral village in Gujarat organising prayers for her safe<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":835122,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[142168,1061],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-835121","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-sunita","category-williams"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/835121","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=835121"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/835121\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/835122"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=835121"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=835121"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=835121"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}