Trump Marks Diwali in the Oval Office — and Is Gifted a Copy of the Hanuman Chalisa

US President Donald Trump lit a diya in the Oval Office on Friday to mark Diwali, the Hindu festival of lights, in a small ceremony attended by senior members of his administration, top business leaders and members of the Indian-American community.

The celebration, held two days before Diwali itself, ended with an unusual gift for the president: a copy of the Hanuman Chalisa, the 40-verse devotional hymn dedicated to the Hindu god Hanuman, presented by Indian entrepreneur Vishal Gondal.

What happened at the White House

The Diwali celebration took place on Friday, 6 November 2026, at 1.30pm Eastern Time in the Oval Office, according to the White House’s official schedule. The event was closed to the press, and the first details and photographs reached the public through the guests themselves.

The ceremony began with President Trump lighting a diya — a small oil lamp — in the Oval Office. Diyas are the central symbol of Diwali: their light stands for the victory of light over darkness and good over evil, and families across India and around the world light them in their homes, temples and streets during the festival.

Photographs shared on social media showed guests gathered around the president’s desk, several of them dressed in traditional Indian clothes. The atmosphere, by all accounts, was warm and personal rather than formal — an intimate gathering, not a state occasion.

The gift that stole the show

The moment that drew the most attention came when Vishal Gondal, the founder and chief executive of health technology company GOQii, presented President Trump with a copy of the Hanuman Chalisa.

The book was cream-coloured, with an illustration of Lord Hanuman on the cover, decorative lotus patterns and red lettering. Gondal also shared photographs of a commemorative presidential coin he said he received during the visit.

The Hanuman Chalisa is a 40-verse devotional hymn attributed to the 16th-century poet Tulsidas. Dedicated to Lord Hanuman, it is one of the most widely recited Hindu texts, read by millions of people as an expression of faith, courage and devotion.

Gondal explained the gift in a post on X, writing: “A moment of shared light in the Oval Office. 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.”

“As the diyas were lit, my prayer was for friendship between India and America, and for the triumph of light over darkness,” he added.

He also invoked the Punjabi blessing “Jug Jug Jiyo”, explaining that it means “may you live for ages” — a wish, he said, for peace, prosperity, good health and longevity for everyone around the world.

Who was in the room

The guest list showed how deeply Indian-origin figures are now woven into American public life, business and culture.

Among the senior officials present were Secretary of State Marco Rubio, FBI Director Kash Patel and National Institutes of Health Director Jay Bhattacharya. India’s Ambassador to the United States, Vinay Mohan Kwatra, also attended, along with Arjun Mody, Deputy Commissioner of the Social Security Administration, and White House Events Usher Arvind Chadha.

From the business world came IBM chief executive Arvind Krishna and Micron Technology chief executive Sanjay Mehrotra, two of the most prominent Indian-American leaders in the global technology industry.

Celebrity chef Vikas Khanna was there too, as was Ruby Dhalla, the former Canadian parliamentarian who now leads the Dhalla Group of Companies. Other guests included Rajiv Sharma, founder and chief executive of Knack Systems; Viswajith Mallampati, president of Keshavam DC; and Hetalkumar Patel, a guest of the president.

The mix of guests — cabinet members, intelligence and health chiefs, tech bosses, a chef and community leaders — reflected the breadth of the Indian diaspora’s presence in the United States today.

A tradition going back to 2003

The White House Diwali celebration is not new. It began in 2003, during the presidency of George W. Bush, when the festival first received formal recognition through events involving Indian-American community representatives and diplomats.

In those early years, the ceremonies were mostly held in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building, next door to the White House itself. In 2009, Barack Obama became the first sitting US president to light a diya at the White House, during a ceremony in the East Room. He later brought the tradition into the Oval Office itself, lighting a diya there in 2016.

Since then, successive administrations have kept the tradition alive, using the occasion to acknowledge Diwali and to engage with the communities that celebrate it. President Trump also marked Diwali in the Oval Office in October 2025, and this year’s ceremony continued that pattern.

Why Diwali matters

Diwali, also known as Deepavali, is one of the most important festivals in the Hindu calendar, and it is also celebrated by Jains, Sikhs and some Buddhists. It marks the victory of light over darkness and good over evil, and it is a time for families to come together, exchange gifts and sweets, and light lamps in their homes.

In 2026, Diwali falls on Sunday, 8 November — which is why the White House held its celebration two days early, on the Friday, when the president and his guests were available.

For the millions of people of Indian origin living in the United States, the festival has become part of the American calendar too. Diwali events are now held in schools, offices, city halls and state capitals across the country, and five US state governors — in Idaho, Nebraska, Montana, North Dakota and Washington — celebrated Diwali at official venues for the first time this year.

The White House ceremony is the most visible symbol of that change: a festival once marked quietly by immigrant families is now observed in the most famous office in the world.

What the ceremony says about India and America

The Diwali celebration carried a message beyond the festival itself. Gondal’s prayer — for “friendship between India and America” — captured the mood of the room, and the presence of India’s ambassador alongside senior American officials gave the occasion a diplomatic note as well.

India and the United States are two of the world’s largest democracies, and their relationship spans trade, technology, defence and the millions of people with roots in one country and lives in the other. Ceremonies like this one do not change policy, but they do show how the human ties between the two countries run through the highest levels of American government and business.

For the guests in the Oval Office, the day was also personal. The Hanuman Chalisa is a text many of them grew up hearing at home. Seeing it handed to the president of the United States — and hearing its meaning explained in the Oval Office — was, for them, a moment of recognition.

The picture that travelled furthest

Within hours of the ceremony, Gondal’s photographs had spread widely on social media. One image showed the cream-coloured Hanuman Chalisa with its illustration of Lord Hanuman; another showed the guests gathered around the president’s desk as the diyas were lit.

“From my prayers to the Oval Office. What a Diwali!” Gondal wrote in a follow-up post, adding “Jai Bajrang Bali” — a salutation to Lord Hanuman — and telling followers where they could find a copy of the Hanuman Chalisa.

The images struck a chord far beyond Washington. For many Hindus, seeing their sacred text in the hands of the American president was a striking image — a reminder of how far the Indian diaspora has travelled, and how visible it has now become.

Conclusion

President Trump’s Diwali celebration in the Oval Office was a small event — a closed-door ceremony, a lit lamp, a gifted book. But it carried a larger meaning.

It continued a White House tradition that is now more than two decades old. It brought together some of the most powerful Indian-origin figures in America. And it placed a 400-year-old hymn, the Hanuman Chalisa, at the centre of the most famous office in the world.

As the diyas burned in the Oval Office, the message of the festival — light over darkness — was, for an afternoon at least, an American one too.

Frequently asked questions

When did Trump celebrate Diwali at the White House?

On Friday, 6 November 2026, at 1.30pm Eastern Time, in the Oval Office. The event was closed to the press, and details emerged through photographs and posts shared by the guests.

What is the Hanuman Chalisa?

It is a 40-verse devotional hymn attributed to the 16th-century poet Tulsidas, dedicated to the Hindu god Hanuman. Millions of Hindus recite it as an expression of faith, courage and devotion.

Who gave Trump the Hanuman Chalisa?

Vishal Gondal, an Indian entrepreneur and the founder and chief executive of health technology company GOQii. He presented the cream-coloured copy during the Oval Office ceremony and shared photographs of it on X.

Who else attended the White House Diwali celebration?

Secretary of State Marco Rubio, FBI Director Kash Patel, National Institutes of Health Director Jay Bhattacharya, India’s Ambassador to the US Vinay Mohan Kwatra, IBM chief executive Arvind Krishna, Micron chief executive Sanjay Mehrotra, celebrity chef Vikas Khanna and former Canadian parliamentarian Ruby Dhalla were among the guests.

When did White House Diwali celebrations begin?

The tradition began in 2003 under President George W. Bush. Barack Obama became the first sitting president to light a diya at the White House in 2009, and he brought the ceremony into the Oval Office in 2016.

When is Diwali in 2026?

Diwali falls on Sunday, 8 November 2026. The White House held its celebration two days earlier, on Friday, 6 November.

Sources

• NDTV: https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/trump-participates-in-diwali-celebration-at-white-house-12294869/amp/1
• The Statesman: https://www.thestatesman.com/world/trump-receives-hanuman-chalisa-from-vishal-gondal-at-white-house-diwali-event-1503659860.html
• Outlook India: https://www.outlookindia.com/amp/story/national/diya-in-the-oval-office-diwalis-journey-through-the-white-house
• Deccan Herald: https://www.deccanherald.com/amp/story/world/us/donald-trump-celebrates-diwali-with-indian-american-ceos-entrepreneurs-4210933

This article is for general information and education only. It is not legal or financial advice.