Chennai, Nov 6
A pall of gloom descended over Thulasendrapuram village in Tamil Nadu's Thiruvarur district on Wednesday following U.S. Democratic Party candidate Kamala Harris's loss in the presidential election against Donald Trump.
Thulaseendrapuram is the ancestral village of Kamala Harris, where special poojas (rituals) were conducted at the Sree Dharmasastha Temple, linked to her maternal lineage. Her grandfather, P.C. Gopalan, significantly contributed to the temple's renovation, and the family regularly attends poojas dedicated to their deity. A temple board indicates that Kamala Harris donated Rs 5,000 to the temple, a contribution made on her behalf by her aunt Sarala Gopalan. Despite their hopes for her victory, local farmer Murugesan K.M expressed disappointment, stating, "We are dejected at Kamala Harris's loss. We were hopeful for a big win in this election, but unfortunately, it didn't happen. However, we expect her to win the next time and become the president of the most powerful country in the world." Residents had anticipated celebrations, including an Annadhanam (free food distribution) event, in honor of her potential victory. DMK councillor Arulmozhi and her spouse, T. Suthakar, conducted a special Abishegam (ritual bathing) with sacred items like sandalwood and turmeric, along with an Archanai (prayer offering) to the deity at the Dharmasastha Temple. Suthakar remarked, "We were hoping for the victory of our daughter of the soil. We are sad and dejected, but we believe she will win the next election and become the President." In addition, a spiritual organization based in Madurai, Anushanathin Anugraham, organized special poojas for Kamala Harris's success. Priests chanted Vedic mantras and performed dhyanam (meditation), invoking blessings from figures such as Kanchi Mahaperiyava, Lord Krishna, Lord Murugan, Valli, Deivanai, Lord Rama, and Goddess Kamatchi Amman. Posters expressing prayers for Kamala's victory appeared throughout the village in Tamil.