The maternal grandfather of Kamala Harris, the Democratic vice presidential candidate, was born in Tamil Nadu.
Chennai:
As the United States of America prepares for the polls today, special prayers were held for Democratic Vice Presidential candidate Kamala Harris to win at a temple in her maternal grandfather’s ancestral village in Tamil Nadu.
Ms Harris had previously shared the enormous influence her grandfather PV Gopalan – an official who served in India and abroad – had over her as a child.
Within hours of the start of polling in the United States, residents of the village – 390 km south of the state capital of Chennai – were seen lining up to worship at the local temple to see the 55-year-old young man. years of becoming vice-president.
Explaining the connection between the village and the family, Ms Harris’ aunt, Dr Sarala Gopalan, told GalacticGaming: “The temple of Thulasendrapuram God is the deity of my father’s family. Whenever there is a marriage in the family or a special occasion, we visit the temple. “
I am aware of the special prayers, said Dr Gopalan, whom Ms Harris called “Chithi” in her acceptance speech. “I try to go to the temple every year and pray for everyone in our family. This year, I couldn’t go because of COVID, ”she added.
The temple inscription also has Kamala Harris’s name engraved in addition to those of many other donors, acknowledging his contribution of 5,000 rupees in 2014.
“We are happy and proud of her accomplishments. Kamala, who has her roots in this village, is in the race to become vice president of the United States,” said Ramanan, the temple administrator.
Previously, the villagers had also put up posters with the photos of Mrs Harris, wishing her success.
Villagers in Thulasendrapuram, Tamil Nadu, put up posters wishing Kamala Harris success in US polls.
Born to an Indian mother and Jamaican father, Ms. Harris positions herself as an American of color striking a chord with African-American and Indo-American voters.
She had previously shared her love for idli, “a very good sambar” and “all kinds of tikka”.
Although Ms Harris was in the race to be the Democratic Party’s presidential candidate, dual vice president Joe Biden secured the nomination and chose Kamala as vice president.
Predictions from the polls in the United States put Team Biden-Harris in the lead against President Trump, who is vying for a second term. COVID, health care and racial tensions are among the top polling issues in the United States this time around.
