Kamalas of the world unite! In honour of the United States' first woman Vice President Kamala Harris, who also prides herself on her Indian roots, amusement park chain Wonderla has a special gift for her namesakes. On January 24, the theme park currently with locations in Kochi, Bengaluru, and Hyderabad, is offering a one-day free entry to all people named 'Kamala.' This celebration comes tailing Harris' Inauguration to her post on January 20 in the US.
Cursing your stars because you're almost named Kamala but not quite? Don't worry. Wonderla is apparently even handing out free entries to certain variations of the name, including Kamalam, Kamla, and Kamal. This offer, according to the official announcement, will only be available to the first 100 visiting customers under every branch, and upon displaying a valid photo ID.
What Exactly Is Harris' India Connection?
Harris, who made history in the US, traces direct ancestry to India through her mother. Hailing from Chennai, Tamil Nadu, her mother Shyamala Gopalan Harris was a breast cancer researcher. The Vice President has spoken at length about the way she and her sister Maya were brought up by an Indian mother.
In Harris’ own words she was "raised with a strong awareness of and appreciation for Indian culture.” Harris has, in the past, referred to her maternal grandfather PV Gopalan as “one of my favourite people in the world.”
She has never shied away from wearing signs of her Indian heritage on her sleeve. From food to traditional attire, she has professed a love for it all. Read more on that here.
India Celebrates Kamala Harris' Inauguration
The village of Thulasenthirapuram in Nagapattinam, her grandfather’s hometown in Tamil Nadu, had reportedly made grand preparations of putting posters, cleaning the area, and cooking traditional treats ahead of her swearing-in. Harris' official swearing-in was cheered on with firecrackers and rangolis.
“She inspires all the women in the village,” a local was quoted saying.
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