US President Donald Trump celebrated Diwali at the White House Oval Office on Friday, joining prominent Indian-American officials, entrepreneurs and business leaders for a special gathering marking the festival of lights.
The celebration began with Trump lighting a diya in the Oval Office. The gathering included senior members of his administration, Indian diplomats and representatives from the business and technology sectors.
India’s Ambassador to the US, Vinay Mohan Kwatra, attended the event alongside several prominent Indian-American personalities.
Those present included IBM CEO Arvind Krishna, Micron Technology’s Sanjay Mehrotra, FBI Director Kash Patel, US National Institutes of Health Director Jay Bhattacharya and celebrity chef Vikas Khanna.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Social Security Administration Deputy Commissioner Arjun Mody also joined the celebrations.
Other attendees included entrepreneur Vishal Gondal, Ruby Dhalla of Dhalla Group of Companies, Rajiv Sharma of Knack Systems, Viswajith Mallampati of Keshavam DC and Hetalkumar Patel. White House Events Usher Arvind Chadha was also present.
Entrepreneur Vishal Gondal, founder and CEO of GOQii Technologies, described the gathering as a moment of shared light in the Oval Office.
In a post on X, Gondal said he was honoured to celebrate Diwali with Trump and presented the US President with a copy of the Hanuman Chalisa, the devotional hymn dedicated to Lord Hanuman.
He said the prayer symbolised courage, devotion and strength. Gondal also expressed hope for stronger friendship between India and the United States and for the triumph of light over darkness.
The tradition of celebrating Diwali at the White House began under President George W. Bush in 2003.
In 2009, President Barack Obama became the first US President to light a diya at the White House during a ceremony in the East Room.
Since then, Diwali lamp-lighting ceremonies have been organised at different locations within the White House, including the Oval Office and Roosevelt Room.
