Kamala Harris’ ancestral village in Tamil Nadu prays for her victory in US elections

Kamala’s maternal grandfather Gopalan was born in this village before moving to Chennai. He had contributed nearly Rs one lakh to the Sri Dharma Sastha temple.

Chennai: “Vanakkam America. Kamala Harris Vetri Pera Vaazthukkal (Hello America. Here’s wishing success for Kamala Harris).” This message was part of a kolam (rangoli) drawn on Tuesday in Thulasenthirapuram, the ancestral village of the US Democratic Presidential candidate, as voters in that country head to polling stations to seal her fate.

The nondescript village, from where Harris’ maternal grandfather P V Gopalan hailed, in Tiruvarur district in Tamil Nadu is now the cynosure of all eyes with its residents offering special poojas at a local temple seeking divine intervention in her victory in the November 5 polls.

Not just drawing kolams outside their houses, the residents of the village have also erected banners and pasted posters on walls, wishing success for Harris, who had never visited the village.

On Tuesday morning, about 30 villagers assembled at the Dharma Sastha Ayyanar Temple, Gopalan’s family deity, and offered prayers and plan to perform another pooja on Wednesday.

Thirunavukarasu, a local who attended the pooja, said the villagers have been excited ever since Harris rose to the top of the ticket in July and have been hoping that she would ascend to the US Presidency. “People voluntarily drew kolams this morning in support of Harris. We will be very happy if she wins the election. We may not know her personally, but the fact remains that her grandfather hailed from this village,” he told DH.

Sudhakar, a local who has erected banners wishing Harris success in the US elections, said the village will erupt in celebrations on Wednesday if the Democratic nominee wins the presidential race.

“We have planned a mass feeding programme Wednesday noon, besides distributing sweets to the people. We also plan to burst fancy crackers to celebrate her victory,” Sudhakar told DH. A special pooja with at least five types of abhishekams has also been planned in the event of Harris’ victory

Though Gopalan’s family migrated to Chennai decades back, his daughter Dr Sarala and son Balachandran have been sending donations to the temple.

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In 2006, Dr Sarala, who is based out of Chennai, had donated Rs 5,000 to the temple in Harris’ name. The US presidential candidate has also stayed in touch with her roots as she flew into Chennai in 2009 from the US to immerse the ashes of her mother Dr Shyamala Gopalan in the Bay of Bengal.

Harris’ ancestral association with the village has not just brought fame to its residents but also several good things. City Union Bank has taken up desilting and renovation of a lake in the village at a cost of Rs 1 crore, while many politicians have also promised development works for the hamlet.

Gopalan, who was a high-ranking civil servant, was born in Painganadu-Thulasendrapuram. His eldest daughter Dr Shyamala Gopalan went to the US to pursue her higher studies where she married a Jamaican Donald Harris and the couple had two daughters Kamala Harris and Maya Harris, a lawyer by profession.

The US Vice-President had herself in the past recalled how her grandfather had shaped her life and served as the greatest inspiration, besides her mother Dr Shyamala. She had also fondly mentioned their visits to Chennai where her grandfather would take them for a walk on Elliot's Beach in Besant Nagar.