NEW DELHI, India (AFP) — The god of truth and righteousness is on the side of the Democratic Party in this year’s United States presidential election, according to Hindu priests in likely nominee Kamala Harris’ ancestral Indian village.

A single narrow road lined with coconut trees leads to Thulasendrapuram, a village surrounded by paddy fields deep in the southern state of Tamil Nadu and once home to Harris’ maternal grandfather.

A huge picture of the smiling US vice president stands at the village entrance near its main temple, a sprawling structure with a towering, decorated gate.

Community prayers began there the day after President Joe Biden withdrew from the race, paving the way for Harris to ascend to the top of the ticket, and are expected to continue daily until voting day in November.

Hours after sunrise, sarong-clad head priest M. Natrajan paid obeisance with offerings of sweets and rice pudding to Dharmasastha, the Hindu god of truth and righteousness, to whom the centuries-old temple is dedicated.

“We prayed for her, and she became vice president,” the 61-year-old holy man told Agence France-Presse.

“With the blessing of our all-powerful deity, we are confident she will now become president too.”

Another enormous image of Harris stands outside the temple’s gates, adorned by intricate artwork, and dozens of villagers thronged the premises.

The scale of the prayers will increase as the elections approach, said Natrajan — who doubles as a veterinarian at the animal dispensary next door.

Harris’ name appears on a list of donors on one of the temple walls, but she has not visited the village since being sworn in as vice president in 2021.

“This time if she wins again, the celebrations will be grander than anything the village has ever seen,” the priest said.