Villagers in Kamala Harris' ancestral village await US poll results

CHENNAI: Villagers from Kamala Harris' ancestral village gathered early on Wednesday morning to pray for her success.

The special prayers were held for Democratic Vice-Presidential nominee Kamala Harris at a temple in her maternal grandfather's ancestral village in Tamil Nadu ahead of the US polls.

However, as the race between the Democratic and Republican candidates intensified and the gap was narrowing, the villagers slowly began to head home by the afternoon.


The prayers were held in the Sri Dharma Sastha temple in a the small village of Thulasendrapuram, which is about 350 kms from Chennai.

"We were all there for the prayers and puja in the morning," said J. Sudhakar, a resident of Painganadu and the president of the Green City Rotary Club, Mannargudi. "But as the process was taking time we decided to disperse around noon and come back once the results were announced."

On Tuesday, an abishekham of milk, honey, turmeric powder, coconut water, lime and holy ash was performed for her by the villagers.

"The pooja began at 8am and went on for about 4 hours," Sudhakar had told ET on Tuesday. "Annadhanam (free food) was organised and devotees were served idli and sambhar because we know those are Kamala's favourites."

Born to an Indian mother and a Jamaican father, Kamala's pictures and posters have been all over the village since the day she announced that she was running for Vice-President.

Villagers said they were awaiting the results with baited breath and are looking forward to distribute sweets in anticipation of her victory.