PoliticsSaturday, November 7, 20261 min read

Trump celebrates Diwali at Oval Office

By Economic Times · Published by Everything Blog

In short

The Oval Office ceremony featured senior administration officials alongside influential corporate leaders from firms such as Micron Technology and IBM. During the event, GOQii Technologies founder Vishal Gondal gifted a Hanuman Chalisa while expressing hopes for continued bilateral friendship. The ritual lighting of the lamp continues a White House custom established in 2003 by President George W. Bush.

Key points

Executive branch Diwali observances originated in 2003 under President George W. Bush bef…: Executive branch Diwali observances originated in 2003 under President George W. Bush before expanding through subsequent administrations.
Barack Obama established the precedent of a sitting president lighting the ceremonial diy…: Barack Obama established the precedent of a sitting president lighting the ceremonial diya inside the White House complex in 2009.
The ceremony served as a venue connecting senior United States government officials with…: The ceremony served as a venue connecting senior United States government officials with prominent Indian-American business and cultural figures.

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Washington: US President Donald Trump celebrated Diwali at the Oval Office in the presence of prominent Indian-American members of his administration, entrepreneurs and top CEOs, including Sanjay Mehrotra of Micron Technology.

India's Ambassador to the US Vinay Mohan Kwatra, celebrity chef Vikas Khanna, entrepreneur Vishal Gondal, IBM CEO Arvind Krishna, FBI Director Kash Patel, and US National Institutes of Health Director Jay Bhattacharya were among those present at the celebrations on Friday.

The celebrations began with President Trump lighting a diya in the Oval Office during an intimate gathering that included Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Deputy Commissioner of Social Security Administration Arjun Mody.

Among those present were Ruby Dhalla, President and CEO of Dhalla Group of Companies, Rajiv Sharma, founder and CEO of Knack Systems, Viswajith Mallampati, President, Keshavam DC, and Hetalkumar Patel, a guest of the President.

White House Events Usher Arvind Chadha was also present at the celebration.

"A moment of shared light in the Oval Office," Gondal, the founder and CEO of GOQii Technologies, said in a post on X.

"Honoured to celebrate Diwali with…

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Key Points

Executive branch Diwali observances originated in 2003 under President George W. Bush bef…: Executive branch Diwali observances originated in 2003 under President George W. Bush before expanding through subsequent administrations.
Barack Obama established the precedent of a sitting president lighting the ceremonial diy…: Barack Obama established the precedent of a sitting president lighting the ceremonial diya inside the White House complex in 2009.
The ceremony served as a venue connecting senior United States government officials with…: The ceremony served as a venue connecting senior United States government officials with prominent Indian-American business and cultural figures.

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AI Analysis

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Positive

In short

Key Points

Executive branch Diwali observances originated in 2003 under President George W. Bush bef…: Executive branch Diwali observances originated in 2003 under President George W. Bush before expanding through subsequent administrations.
Barack Obama established the precedent of a sitting president lighting the ceremonial diy…: Barack Obama established the precedent of a sitting president lighting the ceremonial diya inside the White House complex in 2009.
The ceremony served as a venue connecting senior United States government officials with…: The ceremony served as a venue connecting senior United States government officials with prominent Indian-American business and cultural figures.

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Trump celebrates Diwali at Oval Office

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