A devotee offers prayers inside the Sri Dharmasastha temple in Thulasendrapuram, the birthplace of Kamala Harris' maternal grandfather, in the Southern state of Tamil Nadu, India, on November 5, 2024. — Reuters
With sacred chants, the ringing of bells, and offerings of flowers and bananas, a Hindu priest in Kamala Harris' ancestral village in southern India conducted prayers on Tuesday for her success in the US presidential election. The temple ceremony in Thulasendrapuram, Tamil Nadu, was organized by local villagers and attended by over a dozen villagers and a few tourists. Harris' maternal grandfather, P.V. Gopalan, was born in Thulasendrapuram more than a century ago before migrating to Chennai, where he retired as a high-ranking government official. After lighting incense, the priest concluded the prayer by pronouncing 'Kamala Harris should win,' as he offered vermilion powder and ash to those present. At the temple, Harris' name is inscribed on a stone alongside her grandfather's, listing public donations. Outside, local politician Arulmozhi Sudhakar erected a banner wishing 'the daughter of the land' success in the election. 'She is one of us. She will win,' said Sudhakar, a representative of a local village body. 'Once she wins, we will offer special prayers and also donate food at the temple.' Sudhakar also painted 'Best Wishes for Success' on the mud floor in front of Harris' thatched-roof home, located a few kilometers from the temple. The village gained global attention four years ago when residents prayed for Harris' Democratic Party victory in 2020, celebrating her inauguration as US Vice-President with firecrackers and food distribution. The prayers on Tuesday attracted a few tourists, including two Americans and one British woman wearing 'Kamala Freakin Harris' shirts and chanting 'Go Kamala!' Supporters of the Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris participated in rituals for her success in the US elections in Thulasendrapuram, Tamil Nadu, India, on November 5, 2024. — Reuters
'I am very pro-Kamala, so I wanted to experience her native village,' said Devony Evans, a Chennai-based expat from Seattle, Washington, who voted for Harris. 'It was important for us, as women, to come...to honor her.' Harris, born to an Indian mother and a Jamaican father who both immigrated to the United States to study, visited Thulasendrapuram when she was five and has memories of walks with her grandfather on the beach in Chennai. 'My mother, Dr Shyamala Gopalan Harris, came to the United States from India at 19. She taught me and my sister Maya about courage and determination,' Kamala Harris said on X on Tuesday. The results of the election may not be known for days after Tuesday's vote as opinion polls show Harris and her Republican opponent Donald Trump virtually even.
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