Chennai: City-based maternal aunt of US Vice President-elect Kamala Harris, Dr Sarala Gopalan, is elated over her niece’s feat and now hopes to attend her swearing-in ceremony.
The jubilant veteran doctor told PTI Sunday that she couldn’t speak to Harris on Saturday as she spent the entire day waiting for the announcement on her victory.
“How do you think I should feel about her victory. I feel very happy,” a proud Gopalan, a senior consultant at the Voluntary Health Services here, said.
“I was waiting for the announcement till late in the night…I felt tired and had to retire for the night,” she added.
“Hopefully,” was her response when asked if she would attend the swearing-in ceremony of her niece in the US.
Asked if she visited the Varasiddhi Vinayagar Temple at Besant Nagar here and offered prayers for Harris’ victory, she said “normally whenever I visit Varasiddhi Vinayagar temple I break coconuts.”
“But this time I couldn’t visit the temple due to COVID-19,” Dr Gopalan said, but indicated her prayers were always with Harris.
A few years ago, after Harris called her up with a request, Dr Gopalan broke 108 coconuts at the Varasiddhi Vinayagar temple in keeping with the traditional practice.
The 56-year-old Harris, California senator, was picked by president-elect Joe Biden as his running mate in August.
She is the first woman, Black, Indian-American vice president-elect and has her roots in Tamil Nadu.
PTI