Indian-origin astronaut Sunita Williams has safely returned to Earth after an extraordinary nine-month mission in space, prompting jubilant celebrations in her ancestral village of Jhulasan, Gujarat. Villagers and family members gathered to mark the historic occasion, bursting firecrackers, dancing, and sharing in the joy of her safe return.

Prior to her re-entry, numerous prayers and yajnas were conducted at the village temple, a testament to the community's hope and faith in ensuring her safe journey back home.

Sunita Williams, who was born on September 19, 1965, in Ohio to Indian neuroanatomist Deepak Pandya and Slovenian American Ursuline Bony, is the youngest of their three children. With her father hailing from Gujarat, Sunita's roots are firmly planted in India.

She completed her high school education in Massachusetts in 1983, obtained a Bachelor of Science from the US Naval Academy in 1987, and earned a Master of Science in Engineering Management from the Florida Institute of Technology in 1995. In 1997, she joined the military, accruing an impressive 3,000 hours of flying time across 30 different aircraft.

Sunita was selected as a NASA astronaut in 1998 and has since broken multiple records, solidifying her legacy as one of the most accomplished astronauts in history. Her extraordinary journey and return have sparked pride and excitement, not just in her village, but across the globe as a symbol of perseverance and achievement in space exploration.