Thulasendhrapuram, a small village located approximately 300 km from Chennai, India, is gaining international attention as the ancestral home of Kamala Harris’ maternal grandparents.
The village has put up a large banner celebrating Ms. Harris, aged 59, at its center, a symbol of pride for the community.
Local villagers are engaging in special prayers to their deity for her continued success, as Ms. Harris, along with her grandfather’s name, are listed among the temple’s donors. Sweets are also being distributed in her honor.
The community is closely following the U.S. presidential race, particularly following Joe Biden’s withdrawal, as Ms. Harris emerges as a potential nominee.
“It is not an easy feat to be where she has reached in the most powerful country in the world,” remarked Krishnamurthi, a retired bank manager. “We are really proud of her. Once Indians were ruled by foreigners, now Indians are leading powerful nations.”
There is a notable sense of empowerment among the women in the village, who view Ms. Harris as a beacon of possibility. “Everybody knows her, even the children. ‘My sister, my mother’ – that is how they address her,” stated Arulmozhi Sudhakar, a local representative.
The excitement echoes past celebrations, where villagers took to the streets with fireworks to commemorate Ms. Harris’s previous election as Vice President. A communal feast was held, featuring traditional South Indian dishes such as sambar and idli, reportedly among her favorite foods.
Indian Roots of Kamala Harris
Ms. Harris is the daughter of Shyamala Gopalan, a breast cancer researcher from Tamil Nadu, India, who moved to the U.S. in 1958. Gopalan’s lineage traces back to Thulasendhrapuram.
In a previous social media statement, Ms. Harris reflected on her mother’s journey: “My mother, Shyamala, came to the U.S. from India alone at 19. She was a force – a scientist, a civil rights activist, and a mother who infused a sense of pride in her two daughters.”
After her mother’s passing, Ms. Harris visited Chennai with her sister Maya to perform last rites according to Hindu traditions.
The Harris family boasts a legacy of notable accomplishments; her uncle Gopalan Balachandran is an esteemed academic, and her grandfather PV Gopalan held positions as an Indian bureaucrat and advisor to Zambia’s first president during the 1960s.
“She (Kamala) has been a prominent figure for quite a while now. It’s not a great surprise that she is where she is,” said R Rajaraman, an emeritus professor at Jawaharlal Nehru University and a former classmate of her mother.
Prof Rajaraman reminisced about meeting Shyamala again in the mid-1970s, emphasizing the enterprising spirit shared by both mother and daughter.
As anticipation builds in Thulasendhrapuram for Ms. Harris’s potential candidacy, the temple priest, Natarajan, noted, “Kamala’s chithi (mother’s younger sister), Sarala, visits this temple regularly. In 2014, she donated funds on behalf of Kamala Harris.”
Natarajan believes that their prayers will assist Ms. Harris in her electoral endeavors. Despite the miles separating them from the U.S., villagers feel a profound connection to her journey, expressing hope for a future visit or acknowledgment in her speeches.
