Washington, November 7, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
US President Donald Trump received a copy of the Hanuman Chalisa during a Diwali celebration at the White House, with entrepreneur Vishal Gondal saying he presented the devotional text and prayed for stronger friendship between India and the United States.
Gondal shared details of the occasion in posts on X, describing the gift as a copy of the hymn composed by Tulsidas in praise of Lord Hanuman.
“Honored 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,” he wrote.
He added that his prayer during the lighting of diyas was for friendship between the two countries and “the triumph of light over darkness”.
The White House’s official schedule listed the celebration at 1.30 p.m. EST on Friday in the Oval Office, with no press access. Photographs shared by Gondal showed Trump posing with guests, while another image featured the cream-coloured Hanuman Chalisa book presented to the President.
A programme shared by Gondal outlined a half-hour event, including presidential remarks and the lighting of a diya. It listed Secretary of State Marco Rubio, FBI Director Kash Patel and National Institutes of Health Director Jay Bhattacharya among the planned participants. Indian Ambassador Vinay Mohan Kwatra, IBM CEO Arvind Krishna, Micron Technology CEO Sanjay Mehrotra, chef Vikas Khanna and businesswoman Ruby Dhalla were also named. The attendance of all those listed was not independently confirmed.
Gondal also shared an image of a commemorative Trump coin, saying it would remind him of the occasion.
White House Diwali observances began during George W. Bush’s administration in 2003. 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.
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