US President Donald Trump celebrated Diwali at the White House on Friday, with Indian-American members of his administration, business leaders and entrepreneurs as well as Indian diplomats.
The party was held in the Oval Office and Trump lit a diya (lamp) as part of a traditional diya-lighting ceremony. It celebrated Diwali — the festival of lights — and the contributions of Indian Americans to the U.S.
Trump Lights Diya at White House
Trump lit a traditional diya in the Oval Office to begin celebrations. Senior administration officials and invited guests were present at the ceremony.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Deputy Commissioner of Social Security Administration Arjun Mody were among those in attendance.
The event brought together members of the Indian-American community to celebrate Diwali victory of light over darkness and good over evil.
India’s Ambassador to the US Vinay Mohan Kwatra was also present.
Vishal Gondal Gifts Hanuman Chalisa to Trump
One of the highlights of the celebration was when Indian entrepreneur Vishal Gondal presented Trump with a copy of the Hanuman Chalisa.
Gondal, founder and CEO of GOQii Technologies posted photos from the event on social media platform X.
He called it a moment of shared light in the Oval Office and said he was happy to celebrate Diwali with US President.
He also said that his prayer during the diya-lighting ceremony was for stronger friendship between India and US; for light to triumph over darkness.
The Hanuman Chalisa is a devotional hymn to Lord Hanuman (traditionally associated with courage, devotion and strength).
Indian-American Leaders and Business Personalities Attend
Many Indian-American notables attended the White House celebration.
The list of guests included FBI Director Kash Patel; US National Institutes of Health director Jay Bhattacharya; IBM CEO Arvind Krishna; Micron Technology CEO Sanjay Mehrotra.
The other guests included celebrity chef Vikas Khanna, former Canadian parliamentarian Ruby Dhalla and entrepreneur Vishal Gondal.
Other attendees included Rajiv Sharma, founder and CEO of Knack Systems; Viswajith Mallampati, president of Keshavam DC.
The gathering showed Indian-origin professionals and entrepreneurs in various sectors of American public life.
US President #DonaldTrump participates in ceremonial diya-lighting ceremony at #WhiteHouse to mark #DiwaliCelebrations. The gathering brought together prominent members of the #Indian-#American community to celebrate the #FestivalofLights. India's Ambassador to United States, Vinay Kwatra, was among those present in the Oval Office during the celebrations. #India🇮🇳 #Diwali2026 #UnitedStates #FestiveSeason #Deepavali2026
— All India Radio News (@airnewsalerts) November 7, 2026
History of Diwali Celebrations at the White House
Diwali celebrations at the White House date back to 2003 when US President George W. Bush began the tradition.
Initially the ceremonies were held mostly at the Eisenhower Executive Office Building with Indian-American community representatives and Indian diplomats in attendance.
In 2009 former President Barack Obama became the first US President to personally light a diya at White House during ceremony in East Room.
Since then different administrations have continued the tradition by holding celebrations and lamp-lighting ceremonies at different locations in the presidential complex.
Diwali Celebration Highlights India-US Cultural Connections
The latest celebration under Trump’s administration once again focused attention on the cultural relationship between India and the US.
The presence of Indian-American officials, business leaders and community representatives showed how diaspora played a role in strengthening cultural ties between the two countries.
The Hanuman Chalisa recitation and the traditional diya-lighting ceremony gave an Indian cultural flavour to the Oval Office gathering.
The event was an opportunity to celebrate Diwali and recognise the contribution of Indian-Americans to American society.
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