Highlights
- Donald Trump celebrates Diwali with Indian-American business leaders and members of his administration.
- India's ambassador Vinay Mohan Kwatra and CEOs of Micron Technology and IBM attend.
- Entrepreneur Vishal Gondal gifts Trump a copy of the Hanuman Chalisa.
US PRESIDENT Donald Trump celebrated Diwali at the White House, lighting a diya at the Oval Office in the presence of prominent Indian American business leaders, members of his administration and India's ambassador to the US, Vinay Mohan Kwatra.
The Friday (6) celebration brought together several prominent figures, including Micron Technology chief executive Sanjay Mehrotra, IBM chief executive Arvind Krishna, FBI director Kash Patel and US National Institutes of Health director Jay Bhattacharya.
Celebrity chef Vikas Khanna and entrepreneur Vishal Gondal were also among the guests at the gathering, which included secretary of state Marco Rubio and deputy commissioner of the Social Security Administration Arjun Mody.
Other attendees included Ruby Dhalla, president and chief executive of Dhalla Group of Companies; Rajiv Sharma, founder and chief executive of Knack Systems; Viswajith Mallampati, president of Keshavam DC; and Hetalkumar Patel, a guest of the president.
White House Events Usher Arvind Chadha was also present.
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A gift for Trump
Gondal, founder and chief executive of GOQii Technologies, described the occasion as "a moment of shared light in the Oval Office".
In a post on X, he said he was honoured to celebrate Diwali with Trump and presented him with a copy of the Hanuman Chalisa, the devotional hymn composed by Tulsidas in praise of Lord Hanuman.
He described it as a prayer that millions recite for "courage, devotion and strength".
Sharing photographs of the event, Gondal said he prayed for friendship between India and the US and "the triumph of light over darkness" as the lamps were lit.
A White House tradition
The White House began hosting Diwali celebrations in 2003 under president George W Bush.
Initially, the ceremonies were largely held in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building, with members of the Indian American community and Indian diplomats attending.
In 2009, Barack Obama became the first US president to light a diya at the White House during a ceremony in the East Room.
Since then, the White House has held Diwali lamp-lighting ceremonies in different locations, including the Oval Office and the Roosevelt Room.
(with inputs from PTI)
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