Festive mood in Kamala Harris's ancestral villages in TN

With Indian-origin Kamala Harris all set to be sworn in as the first woman Vice President of the United States on Wednesday, people of two villages in Tamil Nadu, native to her maternal grandparents, are in a festive mood bursting crackers, distributing sweets and calendars with her photo embossed.

IMAGE: Villagers hold portraits of US Vice President-elect Kamala Harris after participating in special prayers ahead of her oath taking ceremony, at Thulasendrapuram- hometown of Harris maternal grandfather, in Tiruvarur district, on Wednesday. Photograph: PTI Photo

The 10-km stretch between Mannargudi and Thulasenthirapuram-Painganadu villages in Tiruvarur district is lined with huge digital banners carrying the photo of Kamala Harris.

To celebrate the occasion, various business organisations distributed calendars with her photo to people, while politicians cutting across party lines offered sweets to passers-by.

Womenfolk of almost all houses drew rangolis with congratulatory messages and firecrackers were burst at many places.

Special prayers were held at the local temple praying for her successful stint as US Vice President.

Some villagers are just waiting to see her being sworn-in on television.

IMAGE: J Sudhakar, a local villager, hands over offerings to a priest to be used during special prayers ahead of US Vice President elect Kamala Harris oath taking ceremony, at Thulasendrapuram- hometown of Harris maternal grandfather, in Tiruvarur district, on Wednesday. Photograph: PTI Photo

Thulasenthirapuram-Painganadu villages are located very close to each other near Mannargudi in Tiruvarur district, a part of the fertile Cauvery delta region.

Harris' grandfather PV Gopalan moved out of Thulasenthirapuram village as a young man and took up a job in the British government service.

Her grandmother Rajam belonged to the nearby Painganadu village.

The 56-year-old Kamala Harris, born to a Jamaican father and Indian mother, scripted history by becoming the first daughter of immigrants ever elected to national office in the United States.

People of these villages consider her as the daughter of their soil.

IMAGE: An artist gives final touches to portraits of US President-elect Joe Biden (R) and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris (L), on the eve of their oath-taking ceremony, at his home workshop in Amritsar, Jan. 19, 2021. Photograph: PTI Photo

Though Harris's ancestors left the village many decades ago, they had kept their connections with the temple at Thulasenthirapuram intact.

Gopalan and other family members have made donations for temple renovation during various periods.

In 2014, a donation was made in the name of Kamala Harris, according to temple authorities.

The villagers are now hoping that she would make a visit to the village where her grandfather lived.

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