World

Trump Lights Diya in Oval Office as Indian Diaspora Celebrates Diwali

By Swati Gandhi

On Friday, President Donald Trump participated in a Diwali celebration at the White House and joined a diya‑lighting ceremony in the Oval Office. The event brought together prominent members of the Indian diaspora, including India’s Ambassador to the US, Vinay Mohan Kwatra; FBI Director Kash Patel; chef Vikas Khanna; entrepreneur Vishal Gondal; IBM CEO Arvind Krishna; and NIH Director Jay Bhattacharya. Trump also met Indian‑American officials, entrepreneurs and CEOs such as Micron Technology’s Sanjay Mehrotra, Dhalla Group CEO Ruby Dhalla, Knack Systems founder Rajiv Sharma, Keshavam DC President Viswajith Mallampati, and guest Hetalkumar Patel. The gathering also featured Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Social Security Administration Deputy Commissioner Arjun Mody, and White House Events Usher Arvind Chadha.

Vishal Gondal posted on X that he was honored to celebrate Diwali with the president and gifted him a copy of the Hanuman Chalisa. He shared photos and wrote that the lighting of diyas was a prayer for friendship between India and America and for the triumph of light over darkness.

The tradition of Diwali celebrations at the White House began with former President George W. Bush in 2003. Barack Obama was the first president to light a diya at the White House in 2009, and since then the ceremony has taken place in various White House locations.

The article was reported by PTI.