Kamala Harris inspires daily prayers and pride in grandfather’s Indian village

Residents have been praying daily for Kamala Harris to win the U.S. presidential election in the small southern Indian village of Thulasendrapuram, where her maternal grandfather P.V. Gopalan lived about 100 years ago. “May Kamala Harris win this election. May she visit this temple and do good for our village,” they pray, according to NPR.

“Daughter of the land”: Local politician Arulmozhi Sudhakar has organized prayers, made daily offerings of milk and coconuts and put up billboards featuring Harris, drawing significant media attention. However, many residents are not deeply familiar with Harris’ political positions, including her stance on India’s decision to revoke Kashmir’s semi-autonomous status. Despite this, Sudhakar proudly refers to Harris as the “daughter of the land,” highlighting the pride they take in her achievements.
Media attention: The media spotlight has brought unexpected benefits to the village, including community welfare projects from a local bank. R. Usha, the village librarian, hopes Harris’ victory and potential visit would also lead to improvements in local infrastructure.

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