- Modi turned 69 on Tuesday, greeted by millions.
- Seeks blessings from the River Narmada and mother Hiraba.
- Launched Namami Narmade Mahotsava.
Ahmedabad, September 17: Days ahead of his week-long America visit, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on Tuesday, sought blessings from the River Narmada, Gujarat’s “lifeline” and his mother Hiraba as he turned 69 amid innumerable congratulatory messages from India and overseas.
He was born on September 17, 1950, at Vadnagar in Mehsana district of North Gujarat.
The PM, who arrived here on Monday night, began his day with a visit to the state’s dream project, Sardar Sarovar Dam, in Kevadia, Narmada district, where he performed pooja of the holy river in the presence of Chief Minister Vijay Rupani and Deputy CM Nitin Patel, among others.
The PM also visited the nearby facilities being developed as tourist spots in the vicinity of the Statue of Unity, dedicated to Sardar Vallabh Bhai Patel on an island in the downstream river. Modi also captured an aerial view of the world’s tallest statue. He also kicked off the Namami Devi Narmada Mahotsava, being organized by the State Government to mark the rise in water level to its near-highest 138.68 metres for the first time.
Before returning to New Delhi in the afternoon, he will seek blessings from his nonagenarian mother Hiraba at Raisan village in Gandhinagar district. He was earlier scheduled to meet his mother in the morning.
Meanwhile, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is celebrating Modi’s birthday at the national level as the ‘Seva Saptah’ or Service Week. The party has announced several social initiatives across the nation.
An ardent supporter of Modi, Arvind Singh, a resident of Varanasi, offered a gold crown to Lord Hanuman at the Sankat Mochan Temple to mark Modi’s birthday. Singh said, “Ahead of Lok Sabha elections, I took a vow to offer a gold crown weighing 1.25 kg to Lord Hanuman if Modi ji formed government for the second time.”
Ahead of his birthday, BJP workers in Delhi led by party MP Manoj Tiwari celebrated Modi’s birthday at India Gate on Monday night.