Seeking divine help: Hindu priests performing rituals during prayers organised by an educational foundation named after Harris’ late mother Shyamala Gopalan, in Palvancha, Telangana. — AP
The temple reverberated with rhythmic Sanskrit and Tamil hymns, as a Hindu priest held a flame before the deity. As this tiny South Indian village gathered to pray for Kamala Harris, a gaggle of reporters jostled for space and camera angles.
There’s little to distinguish the village of Thulasendrapuram from any other rural community in Tamil Nadu, except its connection to a woman who could become America’s first leader with South Asian roots.
As millions of Americans vote, Harris has people rooting for her from thousands of miles away in a village surrounded by rice paddies and coconut trees, where her mother’s family has ancestral ties. They talk about her at the local tea shop. Banners and billboards bearing her face are seen throughout the community.
“Our deity is a very powerful God. If we pray well to him, he will make her victorious,” said M. Natarajan, the temple priest that led the prayers in front of the image of Hindu deity Ayyanar, a form of Lord Shiva.
Harris’ maternal grandfather was born in the village, about 350km from the southern coastal city of Chennai, more than 100 years ago.
As an adult, he moved to Chennai, where he worked as a high-ranking government official until his retirement.
Harris has never visited Thulasendrapuram and she has no living relatives in the village, but people here still venerate the family that made it big in the US.
“Our village ancestors’ granddaughter is running as a US presidential candidate. Her victory will be happy news for every one of us,” Natarajan said.
The village’s sudden fame has helped bring money into the village.
Recently, construction began on a water storage tank with funds donated by a local bank. Village residents say it will carry a plaque with Harris’ name.
Harris’ late mother, Shyamala Gopalan, was born in India. After moving to the US to study, she married a Jamaican man, and they named their daughter Kamala, a Sanskrit word for “lotus flower”.
Other than trips during her childhood, Harris hasn’t visited India much – particularly not since becoming vice-president – but she has often spoken emotionally about her ties to her late mother’s country of birth.
Yesterday, she released a campaign video highlighting her mother, who arrived in the US at age 19 and became a cancer researcher.
Titled Mother, the video ends with a narrator saying: “This daughter of Shyamala, this daughter of the American story, is ready to lead us forward.”
Harris has often talked about how she was guided by the values of her Indian-born grandfather and mother.
She has also spoken of her love of south Indian food, especially a type of steamed rice cake called idli.
Harris’ name is engraved in a list of donors – her aunt Sarala Gopalan gave money to the temple in her name – along with that of her grandfather.
Outside, a large banner wishes “the daughter of the land” success in the election.
Yesterday, the village temple also received rare international visitors: two American tourists and one from the UK, all wearing black T-shirts that said “Kamala Freakin Harris”.
Manikandan Ganesan, a villager who runs a small store near the temple, said Harris’ bid for the presidency has made the village famous.
He hopes Harris will eventually visit them.
“Even if she mentioned that she would visit our village, it would make us very happy,” Ganesan said.
“Her victory itself will be a big source of happiness for us.”
Village residents also prayed for Harris’ victory in 2020, and set off firecrackers when she became the US Vice-President.
For women of the village, the candidate’s journey is a source of inspiration.
Local politician Arulmozhi Sudhakar said Harris embodies a significant step toward female empowerment in places like Thulasendrapuram, where a majority of women continue to face discrimination and gender inequality.
“From the time when women were not even allowed to step out of their house, to now a woman from our village contesting in the US presidential election – this brings happiness for us,” Sudhakar said.
“The coming generations will see her as a role model to succeed in life.” — AP
Seeking divine help: Hindu priests performing rituals during prayers organised by an educational foundation named after Harris’ late mother Shyamala Gopalan, in Palvancha, Telangana. — AP
A man reads a newspaper at a restaurant in Thulasendrapuram, the village where Democratic presidential nominee, U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris' maternal grandfather was born, in the Southern state of Tamil Nadu, India. The headline reads, "U.S. presidential election today". November 5, 2024. REUTERS/Francis Mascarenhas
You got this: Harris’ supporters from abroad cheering for her next to her poster. (Right) Local politician Arulmozhi Sudhakar preparing a kolam, a traditional art work using coloured powder, that reads ‘Greetings America, our wishes for Kamala Harris’ victory’ in Thulasendrapuram. — AP/Reuters
One of us: Temple priest Natarajan pointing out Harris’ name on a plaque, displaying the names of donors written in Tamil who donated for the renovation of the temple in Thulasendrapuram. — AP
Local villagers and international tourists receive blessings from a priest after participating in special prayers for the victory of Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris, at Sri Dharmasastha Hindu temple in Thulasendrapuram, the ancestral village of Harris, in Tamil Nadu state, India, Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2024. (AP Photo/Aijaz Rahi)
A villager prays in front of the idols of Hindu goddesses after special prayers for the victory of Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris, at Sri Dharmasastha temple in Thulasendrapuram, the ancestral village of Harris, in Tamil Nadu state, India, Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2024. (AP Photo/Aijaz Rahi)
