Vijay Thirumalai, founder of Gold Water, shared on X that he recently took time off before heading for a US roadshow to visit his father’s village. An Indian-origin entrepreneur based in the US has struck a chord online after sharing a heartfelt post about his ancestral home in rural Tamil Nadu and reflecting on his family’s journey across generations.Thirumalai shared a photograph of his modest ancestral house in Tamil Nadu. (X/@vijaythirumalai)Vijay Thirumalai, founder of Gold Water, shared on X that he recently took time off before heading for a US roadshow to visit his father’s village for the annual Chittirai festival and temple renovation work. “Yesterday took some time off (before I head off for a US road show) to visit my dad’s village for the annual festival (Chittirai) to the temple where we do our part for renovations etc,” he wrote.“This is the house my dad and my uncles grew up, no electricity, no running water, nothing, and they spent a good part of their growing years here while studying polytechnic etc,” he added.Reflecting on how far his family has come, Thirumalai further said that his cousins and extended family members are now spread across the Bay Area, Toronto and different parts of the US, working in startups, Big Tech and finance.“Now all my cousins, my extended family & our family have done very well (touchwood). They are in Bay Area, Toronto, across US doing super successful startups, Big Tech, Finance and what not. Grateful to our parents and elders for bringing us up the way they did despite all the hardships they faced early in their careers,” he added.(Also Read: Indian-origin CEO reveals leadership advice Nvidia's Jensen Huang gave him on midnight call: 'Your job is to...')Social media reactionsAlongside the post, Thirumalai shared a photograph of his modest ancestral house in Tamil Nadu, where his father and uncles spent their childhood. The image resonated widely with social media users, many of whom said it reminded them of their own family histories rooted in migration, sacrifice and upward mobility.“Same story, same type of house, same challenges faced by elders - there is something binding Indian middle class. In the end, we all reached abroad and build our lives,” one user commented.Another wrote, “Well done Vijay! One generation struggles and makes sacrifices for the next one to prosper. That's the human story. Amazing.”“All of us started in such houses,” another user said, while one person added, “Don’t know but I feel peace when I see these houses.”Several users also reflected on the role of village traditions in keeping families connected to their roots despite living abroad.“It’s the village festivals & traditions that keep bringing the diaspora back to their roots,” one comment read.Bhavya Sukheja is a Senior Content Producer at Hindustan Times with over 6 years of experience in digital journalism. She specialises in covering stories that reflect everyday human experiences, with a focus on viral videos, social media trends, and human-interest features that inform readers while sparking meaningful conversations. She loves chasing page views and finding stories that tug at readers’ heartstrings.