Diwali Celebration at White House: Find out who gifted Hanuman Chalisa to Donald Trump

DIWALI is a festival celebrated not only in India but by the Indian diaspora all around the world. With a significant Indian-origin population in the United States, America has also embraced the festivities over the years with the US Presidents often extending the Diwali greetings and lighting up the symbolic diya at the White House. The US President Donald Trump followed suit, inviting Indian-origin dignitaries, entrepreneurs and celebrities to the Oval Office on Friday, November 6, 2026, for the celebrations.

Amid the festivities, the US President also received a special gift for Diwali with the Indian-born entrepreneur Vishal Gondal presenting Trump with a copy of Hanuman Chalisa, the devotional prayer offered to the Hindu deity Hanuman. Gondal took to social media to share the photographs from the event accompanied with a special message confirming his gift.

See Also: Who is Nithya Raman? From Keralam to becoming the first Indian-American mayor of Los Angeles

Who is Vishal Gondal, the man who gifted Hanuman Chalisa to Trump?

In an X post on November 6, 2026, Vishal Gondal shared that he gifted the US President a copy of Hanuman Chalisa on the occasion of Diwali. Sharing photographs from the Oval Office, he expressed gratitude for receiving the opportunity to celebrate the festival of lights at the White House while also wishing for a strong bond between India and the US.

Gondal wrote, “Honored to celebrate Diwali with President [Donald Trump] 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 also invoked the Indian blessing “Jug Jug Jiyo,” which means “may you live for ages,” while extending wishes for peace, prosperity and good health.

Vishal Gondal is not an unfamiliar name in the Indian startup circles. He is the founder and CEO of GOQii — a digital health and wellness  technology company. His contribution to the gaming industry is also significant as he is known to have founded Indiagames — a video game publisher — in 1999 before it was acquired by DisneyUTV Digital, a subsidiary of Walt Disney in India, in 2011. Today, he is an angel investor in multiple startups and has been listed as a co-founder of a Bengaluru-based gaming company, nCORE Games.

Trump  celebrates Diwali with Indian diaspora

Donald Trump celebrated Diwali at the White House with prominent members of the Indian-American community. Notable figures included Indian Ambassador to the US Vinay Mohan Kwatra, celebrity chef Vikas Khanna, IBM CEO Arvind Krishna, FBI Director Kash Patel and US National Institutes of Health Director Jay Bhattacharya.

See Also: Between Two Shores: The ‘Monhés,’ Nationality, And a Sense of Belonging in Mozambique

The US President lit up a diya at the Oval Office on November 6, 2026, joined by the Indian dignitaries along with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Deputy Commissioner of the Social Security Administration Arjun Mody. 

The tradition of celebrating Diwali by the US Presidents was started more than two decades ago. In 2003, George W. Bush became the first US President to attend the celebrations held at the Eisenhower Executive Office Building, located near the White House in Washington D.C.

In 2009, Barack Obama was the first US President to personally light a diya at the White House during the Diwali celebration in the East Room. Since then, the succeeding administrations have continued to follow the tradition with the ceremonial lamp-lighting event organized at the American President’s residence. The festivities usually shift from the Oval office to the Roosevelt Room, with this year’s celebration taking place at the former in presence of the Indian diaspora.

_[Rh/HP/RS]

Suggested Reading: