In Kamala Harris’ Grandfather’s village, residents pray for her success

In Kamala Harris’ ancestral village in southern India, a Hindu priest conducted prayers on Tuesday for her success in the U.S. presidential election, with sacred chants, bell ringing, and offerings of flowers and bananas.

The ceremony took place at a temple in Thulasendrapuram, Tamil Nadu, organized by local villagers and attended by more than a dozen residents and a few tourists.

Harris’ maternal grandfather, PV Gopalan, was born in Thulasendrapuram over a century ago before moving to Chennai, where he served as a high-ranking government official before retiring.

Inside the temple, Harris’ name is engraved on a donation stone beside her grandfather’s. Outside, a banner wishing “the daughter of the land” success in the election was displayed.

The village previously gained international attention four years ago when residents prayed for Harris’ victory in the 2020 election, later celebrating her vice-presidential inauguration with firecrackers and food distribution.

This week’s prayers attracted a few tourists, including two American and one British woman wearing “Kamala Freakin Harris” shirts and chanting “Go Kamala!”

“I’m very pro-Kamala, so I wanted to visit her native village,” said Devony Evans, a Chennai-based expatriate from Seattle who voted for Harris.

Harris, born to an Indian mother and a Jamaican father who both immigrated to the U.S. for studies, visited Thulasendrapuram at age five and fondly recalls beach walks with her grandfather in Chennai.