A Tamil Nadu Village Prays For Kamala

Hours before the US presidential elections, special prayers were held for Democrat candidate Kamala Devi Harris's victory at her ancestral village in Tamil Nadu.

The prayers were organised by Anushanath's Anukragni organisation in Thulasendrapuram village in Tiruvarur, Tamil Nadu.

The organisation's founder, Ballu, affirmed hope that Harris will win the upcoming elections.

"She will definitely win the elections. We have organised a special puja for her victory," he said.

Thulasendrapuram village happens to be the birthplace of Harris' maternal grandfather, P V Gopalan.

Earlier, an 11-day-long Maha Yagnam was conducted in Telangana for her victory.

Speaking to ANI, Nalla Suresh Reddy, the founder of the Shyamala Gopalan Educational Foundation, said that the Goddess has listened to the voices of everyone and they are optimistic about Harris's chances of becoming America's first woman president.

IMAGE: Supporters cheer for Kamala in Thulasendrapuram, the village where her maternal grandfather was born, November 5, 2024. All photographs: Francis Mascarenhas/Reuters

IMAGE: A priest carries flowers required to perform puja inside a temple in Thulasendrapuram.

IMAGE: The puja begins.

IMAGE: A man reads a newspaper at a restaurant in Thulasendrapuram. The headline reads, 'US presidential election today'.

IMAGE: A man cycles past a Kamala poster in Thulasendrapuram.

IMAGE: A calendar with images of US President Joe Biden and Kamala Harris inside a shop in Thulasendrapuram.

IMAGE: Priests perform the puja for Kamala's success.

IMAGE: A kolam, a tradition in Tamil culture, to express hopes for Kamala's success.

IMAGE: A devotee prays inside the Sri Dharmasastha temple for Kamala's victory.

Photographs curated by Manisha Kotian/Rediff.com
Feature Presentation: Rajesh Alva/Rediff.com