Donald Trump celebrates Diwali in White House with Indian-American leaders

US President Donald Trump celebrated Diwali at the White House on Friday, November 6, alongside prominent members of the Indian-American community, government officials and business leaders. The celebrations took place in the Oval Office, where Trump participated in a traditional diya-lighting ceremony. Entrepreneur Vishal Gondal presented the President with a copy of the Hanuman Chalisa, the devotional hymn dedicated to Lord Hanuman.

Photographs from the event were shared by Gondal, founder and CEO of GOQii Technologies, on social media. Describing the occasion as a moment of shared light, he said he was honoured to celebrate Diwali with Trump and present him with the religious text. He also expressed hope for stronger friendship between India and the United States and the triumph of light over darkness.

Trump Diwali celebrations: Who attended the White House event?

The celebrations united several prominent Indian-American personalities and members of the Trump administration. India's Ambassador to the United States, Vinay Mohan Kwatra, was among the attendees, alongside celebrity chef Vikas Khanna, entrepreneur Vishal Gondal and IBM CEO Arvind Krishna.

Other guests included FBI Director Kash Patel, US National Institutes of Health Director Jay Bhattacharya and Micron Technology CEO Sanjay Mehrotra. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Social Security Administration Deputy Commissioner Arjun Mody were also present. Ruby Dhalla, President and CEO of the Dhalla Group of Companies, Rajiv Sharma of Knack Systems and Viswajith Mallampati of Keshavam DC were among the other guests.

The White House Diwali celebration is part of a tradition that dates back to 2003, when former US President George W Bush began hosting events to mark the festival. Initially, the ceremonies were largely held at the Eisenhower Executive Office Building, with Indian-American community members and Indian diplomats in attendance.

In 2009, former President Barack Obama became the first sitting US President to light a diya at the White House during a Diwali ceremony in the East Room. Since then, the tradition has continued across different locations within the presidential residence, including the Oval Office and Roosevelt Room.

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