Washington: US President Donald Trump celebrated Diwali at the White House’s Oval Office, lighting a traditional diya alongside prominent Indian-American officials, diplomats, entrepreneurs and business leaders. The gathering, held on Friday, also featured celebrity chef Vikas Khanna and a presentation of the Hanuman Chalisa, highlighting the cultural significance of the festival and the longstanding ties between India and the United States.
The celebration brought together several prominent Indian-origin figures serving in the Trump administration and leading major organisations in the US. India’s Ambassador to the US, Vinay Mohan Kwatra, was among those present, along with Micron Technology CEO Sanjay Mehrotra, IBM CEO Arvind Krishna, FBI Director Kash Patel and US National Institutes of Health Director Jay Bhattacharya.
Celebrity chef Vikas Khanna, entrepreneur Vishal Gondal and other members of the Indian-American business community also attended the gathering.
The event began with Trump lighting a diya in the Oval Office. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Social Security Administration Deputy Commissioner Arjun Mody were also present.
The ceremony continued the White House’s tradition of marking Diwali and brought together representatives from government, diplomacy, technology and business to celebrate the festival of lights.
Vikas Khanna and prominent Indian-Americans attend celebration
The guest list reflected the growing presence of Indian-origin professionals and entrepreneurs in prominent positions across American public life and business.
Among the attendees were India’s Ambassador Vinay Mohan Kwatra, Micron CEO Sanjay Mehrotra and IBM CEO Arvind Krishna. Kash Patel, who heads the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Jay Bhattacharya, Director of the National Institutes of Health, were also present.
Vikas Khanna’s participation added a cultural and culinary connection to the gathering. The celebrated Indian chef has built an international reputation and has frequently represented Indian cuisine and culture on global platforms.
Entrepreneur Vishal Gondal, founder and CEO of GOQii Technologies, also attended the event and shared photographs from the celebration on social media.
Other guests included Ruby Dhalla, president and CEO of the Dhalla Group of Companies; Rajiv Sharma, founder and CEO of Knack Systems; Viswajith Mallampati, president of Keshavam DC; Hetalkumar Patel, a guest of the President; and White House events usher Arvind Chadha.
The presence of diplomats, technology executives, government officials and entrepreneurs made the gathering a meeting point for different sections of the Indian-American community.
Vishal Gondal gifts Trump a copy of Hanuman Chalisa
One of the notable moments from the celebration was Gondal’s presentation of a copy of the Hanuman Chalisa to Trump.
Sharing photographs on X, Gondal described the gathering as “A moment of shared light in the Oval Office”.
He also expressed his gratitude for the opportunity to celebrate Diwali with the US President and explained the significance of the religious text he presented.
“Honoured 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,” Gondal wrote.
The Hanuman Chalisa, composed by poet-saint Tulsidas, is a devotional hymn dedicated to Lord Hanuman. It is widely recited by devotees and is associated with faith, courage, devotion and strength.
Gondal said that as the diyas were lit during the gathering, he prayed for friendship between India and the US and for the triumph of light over darkness.
His message connected the traditional symbolism of Diwali with the broader relationship between the two countries. The festival is celebrated through the lighting of lamps, prayers and gatherings, with the triumph of light over darkness forming one of its central themes.
The gift also brought an element of Indian religious and cultural tradition into the Oval Office, one of the most recognisable spaces in American political life.
White House Diwali tradition began in 2003
The White House’s Diwali celebrations have a history spanning more than two decades. The tradition began under President George W Bush in 2003, when the festival was marked at the presidential complex in the presence of members of the Indian-American community and Indian diplomats.
In its earlier years, the ceremonies were generally held at the Eisenhower Executive Office Building, which is part of the White House complex.
A significant moment came in 2009, when President Barack Obama became the first US President to light a diya at the White House during a Diwali ceremony in the East Room.
The lamp-lighting ritual subsequently became an important part of the White House’s observance of the festival. Over the years, ceremonies have been organised at different locations within the complex, including the Oval Office and the Roosevelt Room.
The tradition has provided successive administrations with an opportunity to recognise the contributions of Indian Americans and acknowledge the cultural significance of Diwali.
Diwali celebrations highlight India-US friendship
Trump’s decision to host the gathering in the Oval Office continued this tradition, bringing the festival into the centre of American executive power.
The participation of Indian-American officials, business leaders and diplomats also reflected the community’s presence in several important areas of US public and economic life.
Indian-origin professionals have established themselves in technology, healthcare, entrepreneurship and government. The attendees at the celebration represented some of these sectors, from major technology companies to federal institutions.
The presence of India’s ambassador added a diplomatic dimension to the event, while the participation of entrepreneurs and business executives highlighted the commercial connections between the two countries.
Gondal’s message about praying for India-US friendship further underlined the symbolic importance of the occasion.
Diwali is celebrated by millions of people across the world, including a large Indian diaspora in the United States. For many Indian-American families, the festival is an opportunity to preserve cultural traditions while sharing them with the wider society.
White House celebrations have helped give the festival greater visibility in American public life. The lighting of a diya by a sitting US President is particularly significant because it recognises a tradition observed by communities across different countries and cultures.
Trump’s Oval Office gathering therefore continued a White House custom that began in 2003. With diyas, a copy of the Hanuman Chalisa and prominent Indian-American guests, the celebration combined religious symbolism, cultural recognition and a message of friendship between India and the US.