US Election: Kamala Harris's ancestral village in Tamil Nadu prays for her victory

Abhishekams with 11 items, including milk, dates, and tender coconut water, special poojas and a mass feeding ceremony. This is how residents of Painganadu-Thulasendrapuram prayed for the victory of US Democratic Vice-Presidential candidate Kamala Harris in Tuesday's elections.

The village, 350 km from here, is where Harris' grandfather, P V Gopalan, was born and raised. The Dharma Sastha Ayyanar Temple in the village was decked up with flowers on Tuesday as people converged at its premises to pray for Harris' "grand victory" in the US elections. Firecrackers also went off during the special poojas.

The first abhishekam was organised by the villagers, while the second one was conducted by Kalidas Vandaiyar, whose grandfather shared close ties with Gopalan and his family.

"The abhishekam and poojas are a demonstration of our love towards the Gopalan family that has brought accolades to our village. This is also a display of our belief in God," Vandaiyar, also President of the Thanjavur District Cricket Association, told Deccan Herald.

While nearly 100 people took part in the two abhishekams, more than 200 people had their lunch at the temple premises at the mass feeding ceremony. Rajesh, a resident of the village, said the poojas were conducted seeking divine intervention for Harris' victory.

"The abhishekams were conducted with 11 items including curd, milk, dates, and tender coconut water. More than 100 villagers participated in two poojas on Tuesday. We feel Kamala Harris is a daughter of this village as her grandfather hailed from here. We are sure the Dharma Sastha Ayyanar will help her win the elections," Rajesh added.

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Harris' aunt, Dr Sarala Gopalan, who had broken 108 coconuts in 2010 when her niece first contested the California Attorney General Democratic primary election, also sought divine intervention by visiting the Varasiddhi Vinayagar Temple in Besant Nagar here last month.

"She (Sarala Gopalan) visited the temple last month and made a donation in the name of Kamala Harris," Rajagopalan, one of the caretakers of the temple, said. Though having migrated from the village long back, the Gopalan family had never lost touch with the village having contributed money to the temple's consecration.

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"I keep receiving vibhuti (sacred ash), kumkum (sindoor) and prasadam from the temple every year. The temple administration sends them via courier to me and my sister (Dr Sarala Gopalan) who lives in Chennai," Balachandran Gopalan, Harris' uncle and Gopalan's son, told DH from New Delhi.

Ramani, who is one of the caretakers of the temple, said the family has been sending donations to the temple every now and then. "Contributions are made in the name of P V Gopalan. And I keep sending the prasadams to both Balachandran and Sarala Gopalan every year in the month of May or June," Ramani said.

Dr Sarala Gopalan was not reachable on Tuesday, but she had told DH on August 12, the day Joe Biden announced Harris as his running mate, that her sister Dr Shyamala Gopalan would be smiling in heaven.

“She (Kamala Harris) is a person who never forgets her roots and believes in family values. Even today, she calls me chithi (mother’s younger sister) and she has always been a caring person. Obviously, we are thrilled and happy. Since my sister is not alive today, we will always be available for Kamala and Maya, when they need us," she had said.

Gopalan's daughter Dr Shyamala Gopalan married a Jamaican Donald Harris and the couple had two daughters Kamala Harris and Maya Harris, a lawyer by profession.

Kamala Harris and her sister had accompanied Dr Shyamala to Chennai often to meet their grandparents at their home in upscale Besant Nagar. Gopalan had taken them for a walk on Elliot's Beach in Besant Nagar.