THULASENDRAPURAM, Tamil Nadu, India—As millions vote in the U.S. presidential elections Tuesday, a tiny village located on the other side of the world in the south Indian state of Tamil Nadu is offering prayers at the local Hindu temple, hoping for victory for one of their own, Vice President Kamala Harris.
Harris, 60, was born in California to an Indian mother and Jamaican father, both of whom immigrated to the United States for higher education.
In the village of Thulasendrapuram – where Harris’s maternal grandfather Painganadu Venkataraman “P.V.” Gopalan was born – residents have been gathering each day at the village temple to offer special prayers to the Hindu deity Ayyanar – worshipped in rural parts of Tamil Nadu as a guardian or protector – to watch over Harris.
The residents refer to Harris as the “daughter of the land,” and say they feel a deep connection with her because of her ancestral ties to the village.
The village is decked out with signs featuring Harris‘s portrait and banners wishing her good luck in the election, which will determine whether or not she will become America’s first female president and first president of Indian descent.
“We in this village offer daily prayers for Kamala Harris to win the election,” Aruna Murli Sudhagar, the leader of the village, told Radio Free Asia.
Sudhagar said that there was an atmosphere of great hope and excitement over the prospect of a Harris victory.
“We have performed special prayers to our wish-fulfilling deity and the ritual of bathing the deity, as well as offerings and prayers to all our gods,” she said.
Issues with India
In America’s polarized political environment, the U.S. relationship with India is an issue that both Democrats and Republicans can agree upon.
Harris’ rival in the 2024 election, former President Donald Trump, forged a strong relationship with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his administration, and has in the past actively campaigned for the support of Hindus in the United States.
During her campaign, Harris has not made much mention of her Indian roots, but her heritage has helped draw India’s attention to the election, especially in Thulasendrapuram, where her grandfather was born and raised.
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But these days the U.S. presidential hopeful has no relatives living in the village. Gopalan moved away and became a high-ranking Indian government official.
“Although her family does not currently live here, her family members like her aunt frequently visit the area, especially to make offerings at this temple,” Anbarsu, a retired oil company worker from Thulasendrapuram, told RFA.
In her name
He said her aunt Sarala made a 5,000 rupee (US$60) donation in Harris’ name for temple repairs.
“Thus, there is a close connection between this village and Kamala Harris’ family, leading the people of this village to have high hopes that Kamala Harris will win the election,” he said.
Gopinath, a young professional now working in Singapore but originally from the village, said he and others who grew up in Thulasendrapuram were eagerly awaiting a Harris victory.
“If she wins, we’ll be very proud because she represents someone from a small village rising to lead one of the world’s superpowers,” he said.
In 2020, the village also held celebrations when she became the vice president, lighting firecrackers and distributing sweets to residents.
On Tuesday, at the village temple where the special prayers were offered, three international tourists wearing black T-shirts that read “Kamala Freakin Harris” also said they had come to her ancestral village especially to show their support for Harris’s presidential bid.
“We came to her ancestral village,” one of them from Las Vegas said, “to show our support by praying at this Hindu temple because we believe she must become president.”
Additional reporting by Dickey Kundol. Translated by Dolma Lhamo. Edited by Tenzin Pema, Eugene Whong and Malcolm Foster.
This content originally appeared on Radio Free Asia and was authored by Pema Ngodup for RFA Tibetan.