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Firecrackers were lit and prayers offered in the ancestral village of Kamala Harris after she and Joe Biden won the US election.
The groups gathered on the corners of Thulasendrapuram, which has a population of 350, reading newspapers and chatting about the Democrats’ victory before moving to the temple.
“For two or three days we kept our fingers crossed while the result was delayed,” said resident Kalidas Vamdayar.
“Now is a time of joy for us. We are enjoying it. We will celebrate with firecrackers, distributing Indian sweets to the people and praying in the temple. We will ask you to come here. He would have heard our voice and could come. “
One woman wrote in colored powder outside her home: “Congratulations Kamala Harris. Pride of our people. Vanakkam (Greetings) America “.
Aulmozhi Sudhakar, a village councilor, said: “Kamala Harris is the daughter of our village. From children to seniors, each of us is looking forward to the day when we will be sworn in as Vice President of the United States. “
More singing, dancing and firecrackers are planned in town on Sunday, where clippings and posters wishing Mrs. Harris a “big hit” adorn many walls.
Heartiest congratulations @KamalaHarris! His success is groundbreaking and a source of immense pride not only for his Chittis, but also for all American Indians. I am confident that the vibrant ties between India and the United States will be further strengthened with your support and leadership.
– Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) November 7, 2020
J Sudhakar, who organized the prayers on Election Day, expressed his wish that Ms. Harris visit her.
As Americans voted, nearly 50 residents, hands clasped, lined up at the temple that reverberated with the sound of bells, and a Hindu priest gave them candy and flowers as a religious offering.
Women in the village, 215 miles from the southern coastal city of Chennai, used bright colors to write “We wish Kamala Harris to win” on the ground, alongside a thumbs-up sign.
The lush green town is the hometown of Ms. Harris’s maternal grandfather, who had moved to Chennai, the capital of the state of Tamil Nadu, decades ago.
Inside the temple where people have been celebrating special prayers, Ms. Harris’s name is carved into a stone that lists public donations made to the temple in 2014, along with that of her grandfather, who gave money decades ago.
Harris’s late mother was also born in India, before moving to the United States at the age of 19 to study at the University of California.
She married a Jamaican and they named their daughter Kamala, which is Sanskrit for lotus flower.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted Harris’s success as groundbreaking and a source of immense pride, not only for his family members, but also for all Indian-Americans.
He said: “I am confident that the vibrant ties between India and the United States will be further strengthened with your support and leadership.”
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