Daijiworld Media Network - Washington
Washington, Nov 7: US President Donald Trump received a copy of the Hanuman Chalisa during a Diwali celebration held at the Oval Office on Friday (local time), with entrepreneur Vishal Gondal presenting the devotional text and expressing hopes for stronger friendship between India and the United States.
Gondal shared the details of the meeting on social media platform X, describing it as an honour to celebrate Diwali with the US President.
"Honored to celebrate Diwali with President @realDonaldTrump 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," he wrote.
Gondal said his prayer during the lighting of the traditional diyas was for friendship between India and America and for the triumph of light over darkness.
The White House's official schedule listed the Diwali celebration at 1.30 pm EST in the Oval Office, with no press access.
Photographs shared by Gondal showed a cream-coloured copy of the Hanuman Chalisa with an image of Lord Hanuman kneeling and holding a text on its cover. The book featured red lettering, lotus motifs and metallic corner protectors.
A group photograph from the gathering showed guests dressed in traditional Indian attire and formal suits posing around the President's desk, against a backdrop of gold curtains and national flags. Books, telephones and a model aircraft were also visible on the polished desk.
A photographed programme shared by Gondal outlined a 30-minute celebration, including presidential remarks and the lighting of a diya five minutes after the event began.
The programme, marked as subject to change, listed Secretary of State Marco Rubio, FBI Director Kash Patel and National Institutes of Health Director Jay Bhattacharya among the planned participants.
Indian Ambassador to the US Vinay Mohan Kwatra, IBM chief executive Arvind Krishna, Micron Technology chief executive Sanjay Mehrotra, celebrity chef Vikas Khanna and businesswoman Ruby Dhalla were also named in the programme. However, the attendance of everyone listed was not independently confirmed.
Gondal also shared photographs showing guests alongside ornate, gold-framed presidential displays and a wall bearing the words 'The West Wing' in gold lettering.
Another photograph showed a large commemorative coin resting in an open palm. The coin featured a black face with gold-coloured lettering, a central crest and the inscriptions 'President of the United States' and '45th & 47th', surrounded by a silver-coloured rim.
Referring to the coin, Gondal said it would always remind him of the Diwali celebration at the White House.
In another post, he described the experience as a memorable personal moment, saying he had never imagined celebrating Diwali in the Oval Office. He also recalled feeling Trump's magnetic presence during the meeting.
White House Diwali celebrations began during the administration of former US President George W Bush in 2003. In 2009, Barack Obama became the first sitting US President to light a diya at the White House. The ceremony was held in the East Room, according to the Obama White House archive.