New Delhi, March 19: Sunita Williams’ safe return to Earth after unplanned and prolonged nine-month stay in the space has brought immense joy to her relatives and villagers in Jhulasan, her ancestral village in Gujarat’s Mehsana. As the news surfaced about her safe return, the villagers broke into celebrations by bursting firecrackers and dancing.

An Akhand Jyot (eternal lamp) that has been burning continuously for the past nine months in the local temple was lit up to pray for her safe return. Now that she is back on Earth, the family is set to immerse the lamp in a special ceremony.

Talking to Media, Sunita’s cousin, Naveen Bhai Baboolal, expressed his emotions: “Sunita visited us in 2007 and it was a joyful occasion. She came to the local temple and participated in a wonderful program. Since then, we believed that there was divine power in our village, and it became clear that Sunita was destined for great things.”

“During her third space mission, she took the idols of both our village deities with her. The sweets we prepare here, including the ‘Sukhdi’ and ‘Ganapati’s Ladoo’, were sent with her to space,” he added.

Naveen further shared, “When Sunita left for space, we had no idea she would remain there for nine months instead of a few days, due to technical difficulties. We were deeply worried, but we believed that our divine deities would protect her. That’s why we kept the Akhand Jyoti burning in the temple, praying for her safe return. And today, she’s finally back, so we’re celebrating her safe return with a village procession.”

He informed that villagers have planned a celebratory procession in her honour, accompanied with fireworks to create an atmosphere like Diwali and Holi.

“A procession will be taken out from the village school to the temple where the ‘Akhand Jyot’ has been kept. The ‘Akhand Jyot’ will be immersed after the procession reaches the temple,” he said.

Another family member, Dinesh Pandit, said, “The Akhand Jyoti was lit specifically for Sunita, as she faced challenges with her spacecraft during her mission. When we heard about the problems with her aircraft, we feared that her chances of returning were slim. But we prayed to the goddesses, and we had full faith that they would bring her safely back. This is not the first time we’ve done this; we’ve kept this tradition whenever she’s gone on her space missions, and it has always worked out.”

Dinesh added, “We are all part of one big family, and Sunita is like a sister to us. Our bond with her is very special, and our prayers for her have always been strong.”

Meanwhile, Sunita Williams and her fellow astronauts, Butch Wilmore, Nick Hague, and Russian cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov, returned to Earth on Tuesday evening aboard SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft.

The spacecraft safely splashed down off the coast of Florida just minutes before 6 p.m. local time. The astronauts were greeted by recovery teams, and Williams emerged third from the capsule, smiling and waving after a safe return.

New Delhi, March 19: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh praised astronaut Sunita Williams and her fellow crew members for their extraordinary achievements in space, following their safe return to Earth.

The Defence Minister on Wednesday, took to the social media platform X to express his delight, writing, “Delighted at the safe return of NASA’s Crew-9 on Earth! The crew, comprising of India’s daughter Sunita Williams and other astronauts, have rewritten the history of human endurance and perseverance in space.”

“Sunita Williams’ incredible journey, unwavering dedication, fortitude, and fighting spirit will inspire millions across the globe. Her safe return is a moment of celebration for space enthusiasts and the entire world. Her courage and achievements make us all proud. Congratulations and a big thank you to all stakeholders for bringing them back safely on Earth,” he added.

Williams, along with NASA’s Butch Wilmore, NASA’s Nick Hague, and Russian cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov, returned to Earth on Tuesday evening, concluding what was meant to be a short eight-day mission that turned into an unexpected nine-month stay on the International Space Station (ISS).

Their return came aboard the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft, which splashed down off the coast of Florida just minutes before 6 p.m. As announced by NASA, the recovery operation was successfully carried out, with the astronauts being lifted out of the capsule.

Hague was the first to exit, followed by Williams, who emerged third. All three astronauts smiled and waved as they were assisted out of the spacecraft, marking the end of their prolonged stay in space.

Williams and Wilmore initially launched to the ISS on June 6, 2024, aboard Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft. However, after a malfunction in the spacecraft, they were left stranded.

Their return was delayed until now when SpaceX’s Dragon capsule was sent to bring them back to Earth.

Cairo, March 19: Palestine requested an extraordinary session of the Council of the Arab League (LAS) after Israel’s renewed, deadly airstrikes on Gaza.

In a statement, Palestine’s Permanent Representative to the LAS Muhannad al-Aklouk, on Tuesday said his country submitted a request to the General Secretariat of the LAS to convene an extraordinary session of the council at the level of permanent representatives, Xinhua news agency reported.

Al-Aklouk further stated that this request was prompted by Israel’s renewed “crimes of aggression, genocide, and ethnic cleansing” directed against the Palestinian people.

He also noted that these events have coincided with Israel’s disconnection of electricity to Gaza and the obstruction of humanitarian, medical, and relief aid delivery to the strip.

The anticipated extraordinary session, he explained, is intended to discuss Arab and international initiatives aimed at compelling Israel to “halt its crimes and aggression against the Palestinian people and comply with international law and international legitimacy resolutions.”

Early Tuesday, Israel launched massive airstrikes across Gaza, killing more than 400 people and shattering a fragile ceasefire that took effect on January 19.

The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed the attacks, stating that they were carried out in coordination with the Israeli Security Agency (ISA).

“In accordance with the political echelon, the IDF and ISA are currently conducting extensive strikes on terror targets belonging to the Hamas terrorist organisation in the Gaza Strip,” the Israeli military announced on X.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said later in the day that Israel will escalate its renewed assault on the enclave and that “from now on, the negotiations (on Gaza ceasefire) will take place only under fire.”