Village in India Where Kamala Harris Has Ancestral Roots Prays For Her Victory

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Indian villagers gather outside a local eatery next to a banner featuring U.S. Vice President-elect Kamala Harris with a message wishing her best, in Thulasendrapuram, the hometown of Harris' maternal grandfather, south of Chennai, Tamil Nadu state, India, Wednesday, Jan. 20, 2021. A tiny village in a remote part of South India is gearing up for celebrations ahead of Kamala Harris’ inauguration as the first female vice president of the United States. (AP Photo/Aijaz Rahi)

By Associated Press 

The temple in Thulasendrapuram reverberated with rhythmic Sanskrit and Tamil hymns on Tuesday, as a Hindu priest held a flame before the god. As this tiny village in south India gathered to pray for Kamala Harris, a gaggle of reporters jostled for space and camera angles. There’s little to distinguish Thulasendrapuram from any other rural community in Tamil Nadu, except its connection to a woman who could become America’s first leader with South Asian roots.