The nondescript village of Thulasendrapuram in Tiruvarur district came alive on Tuesday when a section of residents fervently prayed for the emphatic victory of Kamala Harris, the U.S. Democratic Vice Presidential candidate, on the day elections were held in America.
With the world awaiting the outcome of the intense tussle between the candidates, Thulasendrapuram, Ms. Harris’ ancestral village, was soaked in religious fervour, with villagers organising a special pooja at the Sri Dharma Sastha temple.
The otherwise sleepy village was dotted with flex boards and banners embossed with huge photographs of Ms. Harris wishing her a resounding victory in the polls. Some residents of the neighbouring Painganadu village also participated in the special pooja, timed to coincide with the election in the United States.
Ms. Harris’ maternal grandfather, Gopalan, hailed from Thulasendrapuram village, say locals.
“The pooja lasted for over four hours, with abishekham of milk, honey, turmeric powder, coconut water, lime and holy ash performed separately for Sri Dharma Sastha,” said J. Sudhakar, a resident of Painganadu and the president of the Green City Rotary Club, Mannargudi. Annadhanam (free food) was organised and devotees were served idli, vadai and sambhar as they were said to be Ms. Harris’ favourites, Mr. Sudhakar added.
Special poojas were performed for the same deity when Ms. Harris’ name was announced as the Vice Presidential candidate. “A victory for Kamala Harris would not only be a big day for the United States but also for Thulasendrapuram village and for our country,” he said
He said that villagers were expecting Ms. Harris to Thulasendrapuram on becoming the Vice President of the United States.
