THULASENDRAPURAM, India (AP) — The temple reverberated with rhythmic Sanskrit and Tamil hymns, as a Hindu priest held a flame before the god. As this tiny South Indian village gathered to pray for Kamala Harris, a gaggle of reporters jostled for space and camera angles.

An unassuming village about 13,000km from Washington is observing the US presidential election with exceptional interest due to its ties with Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris.