CHENNAI/NEW DELHI, Nov 3 (Reuters) - Supporters of U.S. vice presidential candidate Kamala Harris held prayers near her ancestral village in India ahead of Tuesdays U.S. election, while a Hindu fringe group sought divine blessings for her rival Donald Trump .

The southern Indian region where Harris maternal grandfather was born is rooting for the Democratic Party to win because of the family connection.

Meanwhile, a group that claims to have the support of 5 million Hindus says it wants Trump to be re-elected in order to keep Indias main rivals - Pakistan and China - in check.

Hours ahead of the U.S. presidential election, people living in and around Thulasendrapuram, the village of Harris grandfather, gathered at a temple for special prayers.