Mehsana, March 18 -- Prayers are being offered at the Dola Mata Temple in Jhulasan, the native village of NASA astronaut Sunita Williams, for her safe return to Earth. Williams, along with other astronauts, has begun her journey back after spending more than nine months on the International Space Station (ISS).

Dinesh Pandya, a priest at the temple, said, "We are all very happy and we have been praying for her (NASA astronaut Sunita Williams) for the last nine months. When she went to space for the first time, she took a picture of Dola Mata with her. Whenever she comes to India, she definitely visits the temple."

Dinesh Rawal, Sunita Williams's cousin brother in Gujarat, expressed his happiness and said that she is the pride of the nat...