Sunita Williams, space record holder, sends Diwali wishes from the Space Station

Sunita Williams, at age 6, with Ram written in Hindi on a beach

Sunita Williams is the second woman of Indian origin to have gone into space.  She now has two world records – record for number of spacewalks for a female, and most spacewalk time for a female.

Right now she is in space as well and has sent her special Diwali wishes to all from up there.

Interestingly, her association with Lord Ram started when she was very young.  Her father recounts an incident where, when Sunita was just 6 years old, had built a sand castle on a beach and written “राम” (Ram) in Hindi, even though she didn’t know the Hindi language.  Right now, as she is there at the space station, she keeps her “Aum” symbol with her – put up outside her living quarter and also keeps an abridged version of the Upanishads with her.  Interesting.

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