Hindu priests in the ancestral Indian village of likely Democratic nominee Kamala Harris believe that the god of truth and righteousness is supporting the Democratic Party in this year's US presidential election. Thulasendrapuram, a village in the southern state of Tamil Nadu, is accessible via a narrow road lined with coconut trees and is surrounded by paddy fields. It was once home to Harris' maternal grandfather. A large photo of the smiling Democrat greets visitors near the village's main temple, a grand structure with an imposing, decorated gate.
Community prayers commenced the day after President Joe Biden withdrew from the race, setting the stage for Harris to lead the ticket, and are scheduled to continue daily until the voting day. Early in the morning, head priest M. Natrajan, dressed in a sarong, offered sweets and rice pudding to Dharmasastha, the Hindu god of truth and righteousness, to whom the centuries-old temple is dedicated. "We prayed for her, and she became vice president," the 61-year-old priest told AFP. "With the blessing of our all-powerful deity, we are confident she will now become president too."
Another large image of Harris, adorned with detailed artwork, stands outside the temple's gates, where dozens of villagers gather. The scale of the prayers is expected to increase as the elections draw nearer, according to Natrajan, who also works as a veterinarian at the adjacent animal dispensary. Harris' name is listed as a donor on one of the temple walls, but she has not returned to the village since her 2021 inauguration as vice president.
The offerings were "donated by the people of the village," said J Sudhakar, a 50-year-old influential local leader whose wife is the local councillor. "It is a collective effort of everyone in the village for one of our own." Harris' maternal grandfather, PV Gopalan, left the village decades ago, but the family has maintained close ties and regularly contributed to the temple's maintenance. Harris, born in California, was frequently taken to India by her mother, a breast cancer specialist, and has often spoken about her maternal grandfather's influence.
Government employee Vijay Kumar believes the village has benefited from Harris' prominence. A local commercial bank donated 10 million rupees ($120,000) to revitalize a long-defunct reservoir in the area. "They did that only because of Kamala Harris' association with our village," Kumar said. However, even before she aims to lead the world's most powerful country, Harris faces demands from a distant constituency.
Local politician Sudhakar hopes Harris can attract companies to the area, enabling local employment. Farmer T Selvi added, "She was vice president, and now she will become president, but she should do something for us too. What is the point otherwise?"
