On 21 July 2024, POTUS Joe Biden announced that he would not run for President for one more term in the upcoming elections and endorsed support to Vice President Kamala Harris as the Democrat Presidential Candidate.
My fellow Democrats, I have decided not to accept the nomination and to focus all my energies on my duties as President for the remainder of my term. My very first decision as the party nominee in 2020 was to pick Kamala Harris as my Vice President. And it’s been the best… pic.twitter.com/x8DnvuImJV
— Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) July 21, 2024
Once again, several Indians rejoiced over the fact that a person with Indian roots was going to (possibly) be POTUS. The “ancestral” village of Kamala Harris’s mother’s side went one step ahead.
Thulasendrapuram in Tiruvarur, Tamil Nadu, which is believed to be the ancestral village of Kamala Harris’ mother has erected a huge billboard outside the Sri Dharma Sastha Temple, wishing her all success in winning the Presidential Race.
#KamalaHarris ancestral village
Thulasendrapuram in #Tiruvarur #TamilNadu has erected a huge billboard, wishing her all success to win the Presidential Race…Apparently, the temple is also conducting special pujas and prayers @KamalaHarris #President2024 pic.twitter.com/gedrc7TZel
— Sidharth.M.P (@sdhrthmp) July 24, 2024
Upon scrutinising the billboard closely, one can spot a husband-wife duo at the bottom of the flex banner. It has come to light that the couple belongs to DMK – Arulmozhi Suthakar and her husband J Suthakar. It is noteworthy that Arulmozhi is the 21st ward councillor of a nearby village named Painganadu.
“It is the desire of the residents of Thulasendrapuram and Painganadu that a woman of Indian origin and that too from Tiruvarur district in Tamil Nadu should occupy the highest position in the USA, which will be a matter of great pride for all women,” said Arulmozhi to The Hindu.
“We feel overjoyed that Ms. Harris is one step close to occupying the highest office in the United States of America and her victory will be the greatest moment for Thulasendrapuram and Tamil Nadu,” said J. Suthakar, Arulmozhi’s husband.
However, M Natarajan, the priest of the Sri Dharma Sastha temple, speaking to The Hindu also noted that none of Kamala Harris’ family members live in the village. “No one from the family of Kamala Harris resides at Thulasendrapuram. Her maternal grandfather P.V. Gopalan left the village several decades ago. Nevertheless, Kamala Harris is a household name not only at Thulasendrapuram but in the nearby villages after she became the Vice President of the global superpower,” he said.
Natarajan also highlighted Harris’s connection to the temple, mentioning her donation for its kumbhabhishekam (consecration) in 2014. Her name is inscribed on a stone tablet listing donors, a testament to her contribution.
This is indeed the ancestral village& family deity of #KamalaHarris maternal family…
Kamala's grandfather PV Gopalan had donated to the temple, so has Kamala's aunt Dr. Sarala(who donated in the name of KH) #Tamil names of PV Gopalan and Kamala Harris on temple donors list👇 https://t.co/x4XCPNvxnp pic.twitter.com/jvwyQ8vP5s— Sidharth.M.P (@sdhrthmp) July 24, 2024
Special poojas, abhishekams, and archana were performed in her name at the Sri Dharma Sastha Temple on the morning of 23 July 2024, with villagers fervently praying for her victory.
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