Thousands of kilometers away from the intensity of the U.S. presidential election, the village of Thulasendrapuram in Tamil Nadu, India, held prayers on election day in hopes that Vice President Kamala Harris would win against her Republican opponent.
Thulasendrapuram, Harris’s ancestral village, was decorated with billboards of her, and villagers gathered at a temple to offer prayers and sacrifices. The quiet village, surrounded by rice fields about 350 kilometers from Chennai, saw locals join a priest who led prayers, burned incense, and chanted for Harris’s success, distributing vermilion powder and ash as blessings. “Kamala Harris should win,” the priest proclaimed, guiding the community in their prayers.
The village celebrates Harris’s heritage, with her name etched in the temple alongside her grandfather’s, who once contributed to the temple’s public fund. On election day, local politician Arulmozhi Sudhakar displayed a banner wishing success to “the daughter of the land.”
Harris, born in California to an Indian mother and Jamaican father, has long embraced her Indian roots. While strongly connected to her Black identity, she values her Indian heritage and fondly recalls visiting family in the Chennai area as a child.
As the U.S. election continues, the villagers of Thulasendrapuram remain hopeful, watching closely and believing their prayers will support Harris’s success on the world stage.
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