00:23Adia is glowing inside the Oval Office,
00:26and a copy of the Hanuman Chalisa has now been gifted to U.S. President Donald Trump.
00:33The White House has turned into a venue for Diwali celebrations,
00:37with Trump hosting prominent Indian American leaders,
00:41business personalities, and senior members of his administration.
00:45But one moment from the celebration is particularly drawing attention.
00:49Trump received a copy of the Hanuman Chalisa,
00:52the Hindu devotional hymn dedicated to Lord Hanuman.
00:57And the person behind the gift was Indian entrepreneur Vishal Gondal,
01:02founder and CEO of GoKey Technologies.
01:06Sharing photographs from the event on social media,
01:10Gondal said he was honored to celebrate Diwali with the U.S. President.
01:14He described the Hanuman Chalisa as a hymn that millions recite
01:18for courage, devotion, and strength.
01:22Gondal also shared a message of friendship between India and the United States,
01:27saying his prayer as the Diyas were lit
01:29was for stronger bilateral ties and the triumph of light over darkness.
01:35The celebrations began with Trump lighting a Diyas inside the Oval Office
01:40during an intimate gathering,
01:42and the guest lists included several prominent Indian origin personalities.
01:47Among those present were India's ambassador to the United States,
01:52Vinay Mohan Khwatra,
01:54FBI Director Kosh Patel,
01:56U.S. National Institutes of Health Director J. Bhattacharya,
02:01and IBM CEO Arvind Krishna.
02:04U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio,
02:07and Deputy Commissioner of the Social Security Administration Arjun Modi were also present.
02:13The business community was represented by Micron Technology CEO Sanjay Mehrotra,
02:20entrepreneur Vishal Gondal,
02:22and several other Indian-American leaders.
02:25Celebrity chef Vikas Khanna was also among the attendees.
02:29So this was not just a festive gathering,
02:32it brought together political officials,
02:34technology executives,
02:36entrepreneurs,
02:37and members of the Indian-American community under one roof.
02:41But there is a longer history behind Diwali at the White House.
02:45The tradition began in 2003 under former U.S. President George W. Bush.
02:51Initially, celebrations were largely organized at the Eisenhower Executive Office,
02:57with Indian-American community members and Indian diplomats participating.
03:02Then, in 2009, Barack Obama became the first U.S. President
03:07to light a dia at the White House during a Diwali celebration in the East Room.
03:12Since then, the tradition has continued under successive administrations,
03:17with celebrations held at different locations inside the White House,
03:21including the Oval Office and Roosevelt Room.
03:24And this year's celebration under Donald Trump
03:27has once again brought Indian culture and traditions into the spotlight.
03:32From lighting a traditional dia to receiving the Hanuman Chalisa,
03:36the event carried a message that went beyond the festival itself.
03:40As Vishal Gondal put it,
03:42the occasion was a moment of shared light,
03:45with wishes for peace, prosperity, good health,
03:48and stronger India-U.S. friendship.
03:59Subscribe to OneIndia and never miss an update.
04:04Download the OneIndia app now.
Comments