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'Vetri' for Kamala Harris: Ancestral village in TN awaits her triumph

Prayers, posters, and political hopes - Shine Jacob discovers how Thulasendrapuram is rooting for her presidential bid in US

A flex board wishing US presidential win for Kamala Harris, at her ancestral village Thulasendrapuram in Tamil Nadu. | Photos: Pratap Vinayagam
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A flex board wishing US presidential win for Kamala Harris, at her ancestral village Thulasendrapuram in Tamil Nadu. | Photos: Pratap Vinayagam

Shine Jacob

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While Washington D C lay quiet and asleep in the wee hours of Friday, the air far away in Thulasendrapuram, a small village in Tamil Nadu, was alive with anticipation. At 11 am IST, T Rooban, a leading priest at Dharma Sastha temple, believed to be 500 years old, was preparing for a special puja, or Abhishekam. The temple air buzzed with the fragrant smoke of burning camphor and incense, mingling with the bright hues of lotus and rose petals.

As villagers gathered, their voices united in a singular prayer for a world figure far removed yet deeply

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