US election 2020: Ancestral village keeps sweets, firecrackers ready, hoping for Kamala Harris’ win

Kamala Harris has occasionally used her mother’s Indian roots and her American success story to garner support while campaigning for the US elections, but villagers in Tamil Nadu’s Thulasenthirapuram-Painganaadu have taken it several notches further for Kamala, whose ancestors were from the village. 

The Sri Dharmasastha Temple in the village had performed two special pujas (holy offerings) and other offerings on Tuesday - one in the morning and one in the afternoon, for Kamala’s victory as the Vice President of the United States. Kamala’s maternal grandfather P.V. Gopalan Iyer is said to have hailed from this village in Tamil Nadu’s Tiruvarur district.

Goin by engravings on the temple wall, Kamala’s relatives who live in India had donated a small sum to the temple fund in 2014. The engraving bears the name Kamala Harris, with the donation sum Rs. 5000 (about 70USD) written beside it. 

According to the village head, they consider Harris’ family their own people and take pride in it, adding that they had performed Pujas and erected banners in prominent parts of the village. Around 200 people are said to have visited the temple on Tuesday, as the temple had offered ‘Annadhaanam’ a custom where food is served as an offering. 

“Idly-sambhar and meals were offered today after the pujas. We have kept laddoos (sweets) and firecrackers ready to celebrate in the event of her win tomorrow”, village head J.Sudhakar told Zee media. 

When contacted, Kamala’s Uncle Gopalan Balachandran, a Delhi resident told Zee media that their family had donated to the temple long ago and that they came across reports of the villagers themselves conducting prayers, offerings for Kamala’s win.