Ahmedabad

People in Jhulasan, the native village of NASA astronaut Sunita Williams, celebrated her safe return to Earth on Wednesday by performing aarti and offering prayers after she spent nearly nine months in space.

The celebrations began after the successful splashdown of the Dragon spacecraft, which brought Williams back to Earth along with Crew-9 members Butch Wilmore, Nick Hague, and Russian cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov.

Earlier, the NASA astronaut's cousin, Dinesh Rawal, organized a 'Yagna' in Ahmedabad on Tuesday to pray for her safe return.

Following the landing, NASA astronaut Nick Hague delivered his first message to mission control. While the audio was somewhat unclear, Hague could be heard saying that the crew was "grinning ear to ear," CNN reported.

A village speaking about the purpose behind holding prayers for Sunita Williams and all members of the crew of ISS on X:

Gujarat: A villager says, "We prayed to God for Sunita Williams' safe landing. For her well-being, 108 yajnas are performed at the temple every Sunday..." pic.twitter.com/jsTxqoPagU

— IANS (@ians_india) March 18, 2025

While the audio was somewhat unclear, Hague could be heard saying that the crew was "grinning ear to ear," CNN reported. "Splashdown of Dragon confirmed - welcome back to Earth, Nick, Suni, Butch, and Aleks!" SpaceX announced in a post on X.

Earlier as Sunita Williams embarks on her journey back to Earth after more than nine months aboard the International Space Station (ISS), her cousin, Dinesh Rawal, told the media, "We all pray to God, even if we are far away, we pray together for her safe arrival. She is coming, and that is why we are all happy. We are praying with all our friends, asking God to bring them safely to earth.”

In our village, a big prayer ceremony and bhajan by the Mahila Mandal has been started, and it will continue till tomorrow morning. May God fulfill all our wishes, both material and spiritual, and guide us with his blessings. We offer our prayers with flowers, incense, and devotion, trusting that Lord Ganesha and the divine powers will bring peace and safety. With faith in Lord Shiva, we bow down in reverence, seeking blessings and divine protection for our loved ones."

Doordarshan posted images of celebration from Mahsena village after the SpaceX splashed on earth with Sunita William and other astronauts on X:

Mehsana, #Gujarat | People express joy and burst firecrackers in Jhulasan - the native village of #NASA astronaut #SunitaWilliams after the successful Splashdown of #SpaceX Dragon spacecraft carrying Crew-9 at Tallahassee, Florida.

NASA's astronauts Sunita Williams and Barry… pic.twitter.com/UOnadMFQro

— DD News (@DDNewslive) March 19, 2025

Across the country, people are praying for Sunita Williams' safe return to Earth. In Jhulasan, her native village, residents performed a 'Havan' to seek blessings for the NASA astronaut's safe journey home.

Prayers were also being offered at the Dola Mata Temple in Jhulasan.

Dinesh Pandya, a priest at the temple, said, "We are all very happy and we have been praying for her (NASA astronaut Sunita Williams) for the last nine months. When she went to space for the first time, she took a picture of Dola Mata with her. Whenever she comes to India, she definitely visits the temple."