Ahmedabad: She made India proud by becoming the first woman to spend the longest time in space.

Now, a warm welcome awaits astronaut Sunita Williams as she arrives in Ahmedabad on Thursday morning.

Once in India, Sunita has a hectic schedule ahead of her.

But she has set her priorties right.

First in the list is a prayer meeting at the Sabarmati Ashram. The excitement there is palpable.

"We are all very excited and are preparing for the meet. If I get a chance I would like to ask her how she felt in space," says Sabarmati Ashram student Vinay Parmar.

Another student Varsha says, "I will ask her what she feels about the ashram." After the visit to Sabarmati, Sunita will pay homage at the statue of her cousin and former state home minister Haren Pandya.

On Friday, she will proceed to her ancestral home in Jhulasan. For her and her family, it’s going to be an emotional homecoming.

"We are all very excited. She is basically coming here to thank the people. And Jhulasan has prayed for her through seven days. It will be an emotional homecoming for us," says her father Deepak Pandya.

Over the next five days the astronaut will attend a multitude of programmes including an interaction with students in Ahmedabad, felicitation by the Governor, Chamber of Commerce and voluntary organisations.

But some of her family members are upset that the state government has not done more to welcome her.

"One or two people may be reluctant to respect her. It shows a negative mindset. We really don't care," says her uncle Vitthal Pandya.

For Sunita though, what seems to be more important is the reunion with her relatives. She had last visited the state in 1998.