The village of Jhulasan in Gujarat’s Mehsana district, just an hour from Ahmedabad, erupted in joy as NASA astronaut Sunita Williams safely returned to Earth. Residents cheered, offered prayers, and celebrated with pride on Wednesday morning. Wondering why?!

Jhulasan isn’t just any village, it’s the ancestral home of her father, Deepak Pandya. For the people here, she’s not just a global icon but one of their own, making every milestone in her journey a moment of pride for the entire village.

Williams, along with fellow astronauts, landed safely off the Florida coast in a SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule after an unexpectedly extended nine-month mission aboard the International Space Station (ISS). The villagers, who had been anxiously following her journey, gathered at the local temple to watch the live broadcast of her landing. As soon as the spacecraft splashed down, the air filled with cheers and firecrackers.

To mark the occasion, a grand procession was planned, starting from the village school and concluding at the temple, where an ‘Akhand Jyot’ (eternal flame) had been burning since Williams’ departure for space. Her cousin Navin Pandya shared, "We have organised a procession with Sunita Williams' photograph and will perform a dhun (prayer chanting) at the temple."

The mission, initially scheduled for a week, stretched to nine months due to technical issues. Williams, who holds the record for the most spacewalking hours by a female astronaut, remains a source of inspiration. Jhulasan now eagerly awaits her visit, hoping to welcome her home with the same love and pride that made her return a moment of celebration across the village.