Our Bureau
Washington, DC
US President Donald Trump marked Diwali at the White House, bringing together prominent Indian-American officials, business leaders and entrepreneurs for a celebration at the Oval Office.
The event, held on Friday, began with President Trump lighting a traditional diya, symbolising the festival of lights. The gathering was attended by several senior members of his administration, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Arjun Mody, Deputy Commissioner of the Social Security Administration.
Among the notable guests were India’s Ambassador to the US Vinay Mohan Kwatra, celebrity chef Vikas Khanna, entrepreneur Vishal Gondal, Micron Technology CEO Sanjay Mehrotra and IBM CEO Arvind Krishna. FBI Director Kash Patel and US National Institutes of Health Director Jay Bhattacharya were also present.
Marking Diwali celebrations at the White House, Indian tech entrepreneur Vishal Gondal met United States President Donald Trump in the Oval Office, participating in a ceremonial diya-lighting and gifting him a copy of the Hanuman Chalisa.
The high-profile gathering brought together prominent members of the Indian diaspora to celebrate the festival of lights inside the executive office of the American President.
Sharing details of the celebration on social media platform X, Gondal, founder of GOQii, revealed that he presented President Trump with a copy of the Hanuman Chalisa during the festivities.
“A moment of shared light in the Oval Office. Honoured to celebrate Diwali with President Donald Trump and proud to gift him with a copy of the Hanuman Chalisa, Tulsidas’s hymn to Lord Hanuman that millions of us recite for courage, devotion and strength,” Gondal posted.
Reflecting on the spirit of the celebration, the entrepreneur noted that prayers were offered for strengthening the bilateral bond between India and the United States.
“As the diyas were lit, my prayer was for friendship between India and America, and for the triumph of light over darkness,” he wrote.
Gondal also invoked the traditional Indian blessing “Jug Jug Jiyo,” wishing well-being and health on the festive occasion.
“Jug Jug Jiyo, a blessing many of us grew up hearing, means ‘may you live for ages.’ It is the wish behind everything I do, and today I made it for everyone around the world: peace, prosperity, good health and longevity. Happy Diwali. Jug Jug Jiyo,” he added.
Trump’s Diwali celebrations were also attended by several notable diaspora luminaries, including former Canadian parliamentarian Ruby Dhalla.
The celebration highlighted the growing visibility of Indian-American leaders across the US administration and corporate sector, while underscoring the cultural significance of Diwali in American public life.