Residents of the Indian town of Jhulasan, Gujarat, which is the ancestral home of Williams dad, are praying for her safe return.
Residents of Jhulasan, a small village in Gujarat, India, are praying for the safe return of American astronaut Sunita Williams, who has been stranded in space for 107 days along with fellow astronaut Barry Wilmore.
Their return, initially delayed due to issues with their Boeing Starliner spacecraft, is now scheduled for February 2025, with the astronauts set to come back aboard a SpaceX capsule.
Deep Emotional Ties with Jhulasan
Williams has a special connection to Jhulasan, as it is her father’s ancestral home. The village, which has a population of 7,000, holds dear memories of her visits, the first of which was in 1972 when she was a child. She returned after her space missions in 2007 and 2013, strengthening the bond with her ancestral roots.
A library named after her grandparents still stands in the village, though it has aged over the years. The school she helped fund also remains, with a picture of her grandparents displayed in the prayer hall.
Daily Prayers and Symbolic Support
In light of Williams’ current space mission, the village has been holding daily prayers for her safety. An oil lamp has been lit in her honor as a symbol of hope.
On Thursday, the community marked her 59th birthday with a space-themed exhibition, eagerly awaiting her return and hoping she will visit them once again.
Fond Memories of Past Visits
Residents, like Kishore Pandya, recall their interactions with Williams fondly. Pandya shared a cherished memory from 2007, saying, “I went to her and said with my limited knowledge of English, ‘I am your brother’.
She shook hands with me and said, ‘Oh! My brother!’ I still cherish that moment.” Similarly, Bharat Gajjar, who worked as a carpenter during Williams’ first visit in 1972, recalls her riding camels through the village.
A Family Legacy
Sunita’s father, Deepak Pandya, left Jhulasan in 1957 for the United States, where he met and married her mother, Ursuline Bonnie.
Sunita was born in 1965, and the family’s first visit to the village in 1972 was met with a grand welcome. Deepak Pandya, who was a neuroscientist, passed away in 2020, but his legacy remains in the village.
Hope for a Safe Return
Women in Jhulasan, such as Madhu Patel, continue to offer prayers for Williams’ safe return. “We are proud of her achievements.
NASA and the government should do whatever they can to bring our daughter back safely,” Patel said, reflecting the collective hope of the village.
The village remains hopeful, awaiting the moment when they can once again welcome their beloved astronaut home.
