Washington DC: Sunita Williams, the NASA astronaut, may be stuck in space but this didn't stop her from extending Diwali wishes. The astronaut of Indian heritage wished everyone Happy Diwali through a video streamed during Diwali celebrations in White House on Monday (October 28).
"Greetings from the International Space Station," said Williams.
"I want to extend my warmest wishes of Happy Diwali to everyone celebrating the festival of light today at the White House from around the world," she added.
Saying that she was getting the unique opportunity of celebrating Diwali 263 miles above earth from the ISS, she recalled her Indian roots mentioning how her father taught her about Diwali and other Indian festivals.
"He kept and shared his cultural roots," she said.
She thanked US President Biden and Vice-President Kamala Harris for celebrating Diwali in the White House and recognising contributions made by the South-Asian community in the progress of the United States.
Biden celebrates Diwali In White House For The Last Time As US President
US President Joe Biden took the stage to wish everyone a happy Diwali, in what was the last time he'd celebrate the festival in the White House as a US president.
"The South Asian American community has enriched every part of American life," he said.
"Yours is the fastest-growing and most engaged community in the world...Now, Diwali is celebrated openly and proudly in the White House," he said further.
The president recalled how he and his wife Jill Biden celebrated Diwali for the first time when he was vice-president.
"Only in America is everything possible," he said as he spoke of diversity in America as well as in his own administration.
Biden's address came just a week before November 5, the election day for US Presidential Election 2024. Although Biden's speech was largely about Diwali wishes, his words did have a reflection of the upcoming political movements.
"This is not my house; this is your house...Today we face an inflection point...Every once in a few generations we are reminded to not take the Idea of America for granted... American Democracy has never been easy. In a country as diverse as ours, we debate, we dissent... but the key is, we never lose sight of how we got here and why," Biden said.