Festive mood in Kamala Harris's ancestral villages in TN ahead of her swearing-in as US Vice Prez

With Indian-origin KamalaHarris all set to be sworn in as the first woman VicePresident of the US on Wednesday, people of two villages inTamil Nadu, native to her maternal grandparents, are in afestive mood bursting crackers, distributing sweets andcalendars with her photo embossed.

The 10-km stretch between Mannargudi andThulasenthirapuram-Painganadu villages in Tiruvarur districtis lined with huge digital banners carrying the photo ofKamala Harris.

To celebrate the occasion, various businessorganisations distributed calendars with her photo to people,while politicians cutting across party lines offered sweetsto passers-by.

Womenfolk of almost all houses drew rangolis withcongratulatory messages and firecrackers were burst at manyplaces.

Special prayers were held at the local temple prayingfor her successful stint as US Vice President.

Some villagers are just waiting to see her beingsworn-in on television.

Thulasenthirapuram-Painganadu villages are locatedvery close to each other near Mannargudi in Tiruvarurdistrict, a part of the fertile Cauvery delta region.

Harris' grandfather PV Gopalan moved out ofThulasenthirapuram village as a young man and took up a job inthe British government service.

Her grandmother Rajam belonged to the nearbyPainganadu village.

The 56-year-old Kamala Harris, born to a Jamaicanfather and Indian mother, scripted history by becoming thefirst daughter of immigrants ever elected to national officein the United States.

People of these villages consider her as thedaughter of their soil.

ThoughHarris's ancestors left the villagemany decades ago, they had kept their connections with thetemple at Thulasenthirapuram intact.

Gopalan and other family members have made donationsfor temple renovation during various periods.

In 2014, a donation was made in the nameofKamalaHarris, according to temple authorities.

The villagers are now hoping that she would make avisit to the village where her grandfather lived.PTI COR BNWELCOME BNWELCOME