Kamala Harris’ native village in Tamil Nadu holds prayers for her success

As voting for the US presidential election 2024 is set to take place on November 5, prayers were held in her native village of Thulasendrapuram in Tamil Nadu for Democratic Party candidate Kamala Harris’s success.
Kamala Harris’ maternal grandfather, PV Gopalan, was born over a century ago in the village of Thulasendrapuram in Tamil Nadu, southern India.
At the temple, there is a stone that shows the names of Kamala Harris and her grandfather for public donations. Outside, a big banner wishes her success in the election, calling her “the daughter of the land.”
Gopalan and his family migrated a few hundred kilometres to Chennai, the capital of Tamil Nadu, where he worked as a senior government official until his retirement.
He later relocated to Zambia, where he worked as a diplomat for the Indian government. Harris’s mother, Shyamala Gopalan, grew up mostly away from the village and eventually went to the US for higher education.
Thulasendrapuram gained global attention four years ago when its residents prayed for the victory of Harris Democratic Party in 2020. They celebrated her swearing-in as US vice president by lighting firecrackers and distributing food.
Despite having few physical connections to her roots, Harris cherishes her heritage, influenced by stories and memories of her family’s activism and strength.
“My mother, Dr Shyamala Gopalan Harris, came to the United States from India at 19. She taught me and my sister, Maya, about courage and determination. It is thanks to her that I am ready to lead us forward,” Harris wrote in a post on X (formerly Twitter).
While Harris is often celebrated for her Black heritage, she also acknowledges her Indian ancestry, especially the impact of her mother and grandmother.
“My mother embodies the strength and bravery of my grandmother,” and credits her commitment to social justice to her family’s enduring influence,” she said wrote in her biography, attributing her grounding in social justice to her family’s legacy.