From childhood streets to national stage: Vadnagar celebrates PM Modi's 75th birthday

Vadnagar (Gujarat): Vadnagar, the hometown of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, marked his 75th birthday with spirited celebrations, with his cousins living there adding a personal touch with warm wishes.

People of Vadnagar, a small town in Gujarat's Mehsana district, organised blood donation and eye check-up camps, prayers at the famous Hatkeshwar Mahadev temple, and a cleanliness campaign.

"A blood donation camp was held on Tuesday. PM Modi's elder brother Somabhai Modi organised an eye check-up health camp on Wednesday morning," Vadnagar BJP unit office-bearer Bhavesh Patel told PTI.

"A special pooja was held at 7.30 am at the Hatkeshwar Mahadev temple. A havan (fire rituals) will be held at 4 pm and sweets will be distributed," he said.

A cleanliness drive was also held in the town after 9.30 am, he added.

"We have also organised a grand Gujarati folk music (daiyro) programme in the evening for the people of Vadnagar in which famous folk artists like Rajbha Gadhvi and Osman Mir will perform," the leader said.

While PM Modi left his hometown Vadnagar to pursue his political dreams long ago, two of his cousins - Bharatbhai Modi (65) and Ashokbhai Modi (61) - still live in Vadnagar.

Both of them are sons of late Narsinhdas Modi, younger brother of the PM's father, Damodardas Modi.

While Bharatbhai runs a grocery shop in a small rented premises, Ashokbhai sells religious and seasonal articles from his modest 4X2 feet shop and earns nearly Rs 5,000 per month.

Ashokbhai has spent his entire life at Vadnagar, while Bharatbhai returned here and opened the rented shop four years ago after retiring from a private job.

Almost everyone in the town knows both of them are PM Modi's cousins, but they have not met him for decades and never tried to "encash" their relationship.

"We are all proud that a person like Narendrabhai Modi is born in the Modi family. I extend warm birthday wishes to him. I pray that he achieves more success and takes the country ahead. He is working hard to make India a vishwaguru, and we all are with him in this endeavour," Bharatbhai told PTI.

"Though almost everyone in Vadnagar knows that I am the PM's cousin, I never tried to capitalise on the relationship in any manner. I believe that everyone should write their destiny. If traffic police stop my bike, I humbly pay the fine instead of trying to influence the police by revealing my identity," he said.

Ashokbhai also said he never sought any help from PM Modi despite his modest earnings.

"I wish a very happy birthday to Narendrabhai. May God fulfil all his wishes. Though I earn only Rs 5,000 every month, I never thought of asking Modi to help me in any manner," he said.

The PM's childhood friend from Vadnagar and classmate, Dashrathbhai Patel, said Modi dreamt of becoming the chief minister of Gujarat way back in 1969, more than three decades before he finally assumed the top office in 2001.

Referring to the prime minister's humble beginnings, he recalled how Modi, while still in school, would go from one compartment to another to sell tea to train passengers at Vadnagar railway station, where his father had a tea stall.

"Modi and I studied together, right from primary school in Vadnagar to college in Visnagar (in Mehsana district). We used to attend RSS shakhas (gatherings of swayamsevaks) together. Modi and his circle of friends once visited my farm, and we all enjoyed 'undhiyu', a delicacy from Surat. We also took part in school plays," he recollected.

"In 1969, Modi and I were walking past a small and dilapidated memorial of twin sisters and singers, Tana and Riri, in Vadnagar (PM's hometown). At that time, Modi told me he will restore the memorial after becoming chief minister. He kept that dream alive for many years. When he finally became CM (in 2001), he kept his promise and ordered the memorial's restoration," he said.

Dashrathbhai said his father used to run a shop at Vadnagar railway station, where Modi's father had a tea stall.

In the last few years, the central and state governments have revamped the birthplace of PM Modi. In 2021, Modi inaugurated the revamped Vadnagar railway station, where he had sold tea during his childhood.

As Vadnagar station is a part of the heritage circuit, the tourism ministry spent Rs 8.5 crore to give a heritage look to the existing building and its entry gate.

A heritage school, now known as 'Prerna School', in Vadnagar, where Modi had his initial education, underwent a complete renovation and was inaugurated in January this year by Union Home Minister Amit Shah.

An Archaeological Experiential Museum, which highlights Vadnagar's rich history, a cutting-edge sports complex and the redeveloped Sharmishtha lake are among the key development projects the town has witnessed during recent years.

At present, a multi-modal transportation hub and public plaza is being developed opposite the Vadnagar railway station.