The sleepy village of Painganadu-Thulasendrapuram in Tiruvarur district came alive on Sunday morning to celebrate Kamala Harris' “historic win” as the first woman Vice-President of the United States.
Villagers burst crackers, distributed sweets, drew rangolis outside their homes, and prayed at the Sri Dharmasastha Ayyanar Temple to celebrate Harris breaking the “glass ceiling” and writing herself into history.
Painganadu-Thulasendrapuram, 350 km from here in the fertile Cauvery Delta region, is the native village of P V Gopalan, the grandfather of Harris, and people here have been conducting special poojas and abhishekams at the temple for her victory.
Food Minister R Kamaraj and Tiruvarur MLA 'Poondi' Kalaivanan from the DMK participated in the festivities on Sunday. Women drew rangolis and with verses like “Kamala Harris – Pride of Our Village” and “Vanakkam America” outside their homes as people held placards that displayed the US V-P elect's photo.
People distributed sweets outside the Sri Dharmasastha Ayyanar Temple, for which the Gopalan family has been sending donations, and installed banners and cut-outs wishing Harris for her victory.
“It is a proud moment for all of us at all the village that a person who traces her roots to this hamlet has become the Vice-President of the United States. Our joy knows no bounds today. The village erupted in celebrations,” R R Kalidas Vandaiyar, whose grandfather enjoyed close friendship with Gopalan, told DH from the village.
Vandaiyar had organised a special abhishekam on Tuesday, the day the US went to the polls. The temple, where the abhishekam was held, is close to the Gopalan family as his son Balachandran Gopalan, who lives in Delhi, and daughter Dr Sarala Gopalan have been making donations for its consecration.
On Sunday, Dr Sarala told DH that she is likely to visit the village to offer prayers at the temple in the next few days. “I am planning to go to our native village,” she said. Ramani, one of the caretakers of the temple, said he sends the temple prasadam every year to Balachandran and Dr Sarala.
“Dr Sarala comes here every two or three years. They have donated money for the temple. The whole village celebrated Kamala Harris' victory on Sunday,” Ramani said.
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.
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.
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