THULASENDRAPURAM, India (AP) 鈥 The temple reverberated with rhythmic Sanskrit and Tamil hymns, as a Hindu priest held a flame before the god. As this tiny South Indian village gathered to pray for Kamala Harris, a gaggle of reporters jostled for space and camera angles.
There's little to distinguish the village of Thulasendrapuram from any other rural community in Tamil Nadu, except its connection to a woman who could become America's first leader with South Asian roots.
As millions of Americans vote, Harris has people rooting for her from thousands of miles away in a village surrounded by rice paddies and coconut trees, where her . They talk about her at the local tea shop. Banners and billboards bearing her face are seen throughout the community.
鈥淥ur deity is a very powerful God. If we pray well to him, he will make her victorious,鈥 said M. Natarajan, the temple priest that led the prayers in front of the image of Hindu deity Ayyanar, a form of Lord Shiva.
Harris鈥 maternal grandfather was born in the village, about 350 kilometers (215 miles) from the southern coastal city of Chennai, more than 100 years ago. As an adult, he moved to Chennai, where he worked as a high-ranking government official until his retirement.
Harris has never visited Thulasendrapuram and she has no living relatives in the village, but people here still venerate the family that made it big in the U.S.
鈥淥ur village ancestors' granddaughter is running as a U.S. presidential candidate. Her victory will be happy news for every one of us,鈥 Natarajan said.
The village's sudden fame has helped bring money into the village. Recently, construction began on a water storage tank with funds donated by a local bank. Village residents say it will carry a plaque with Harris鈥 name.
Harris鈥 late mother, Shyamala Gopalan, was born in India. After moving to the U.S. to study, she married a Jamaican man, and they named their daughter Kamala, a Sanskrit word for 鈥渓otus flower.鈥
Other than trips during her childhood, Harris hasn鈥檛 visited India much 鈥 particularly not since becoming vice president 鈥 but she has often spoken emotionally about her ties to her late mother鈥檚 country of birth. On Tuesday, she released a campaign video highlighting her mother, who arrived in the U.S. at age 19 and became a cancer researcher.
Titled 鈥淢other,鈥 the video ends with a narrator saying: 鈥淭his daughter of Shyamala, this daughter of the American story, is ready to lead us forward.鈥
Harris has often talked about how she was guided by the values of her Indian-born grandfather and mother. She has also spoken of her love of south Indian food, especially a type of steamed rice cake called idli.
Harris鈥 name is engraved in a list of donors 鈥 her aunt Sarala Gopalan gave money to the temple in her name 鈥 along with that of her grandfather. Outside, a large banner wishes 鈥渢he daughter of the land鈥 success in the election.
On Tuesday, the village temple also received rare international visitors: two American tourists and one from the U.K., all wearing black t-shirts that said 鈥淜amala Freakin Harris.鈥
Manikandan Ganesan, a villager who runs a small store near the temple, said Harris鈥 bid for the presidency has made the village famous. He hopes Harris will eventually visit them.
鈥淓ven if she mentioned that she would visit our village, it would make us very happy,鈥 Ganesan said. 鈥淗er victory itself will be a big source of happiness for us.鈥
Village residents also prayed for Harris鈥 victory in 2020, and set off firecrackers when she became
For women of the village, the candidate's journey is a source of inspiration.
Local politician Arulmozhi Sudhakar said Harris embodies a significant step toward female empowerment in places like Thulasendrapuram, where a majority of women continue to face discrimination and gender inequality.
鈥淔rom the time when women were not even allowed to step out of their house, to now a woman from our village contesting in the U.S. presidential election 鈥 this brings happiness for us,鈥 Sudhakar said. 鈥淭he coming generations will see her as a role model to succeed in life.鈥
