Excitement in Modi's village over his first visit as PM

People in Vadnagar, the ancestral village of Narendra Modi, are waiting eagerly for his first visit as prime minister.

Modi, who will be in Gujarat for a two-day trip starting Saturday, will be visiting Vadnagar, his birthplace, in Mehasana district on Sunday.

There is a lot of excitement in Vadnagar as well as nearby villages such as Badarpur and Molipur over the visit, said the prime minister’s elder brother Somabhai Modi.

Ahead of the prime minister’s visit, the administration is busy working on roads and ensuring cleanliness. Fire engines have also been deployed inside the railway station for cleaning of trees on its premises.

The PM has dedicated himself to the service of the nation and everyone’s blessings is with him, Somabhai Modi said, adding that his father had built a house in Vadnagar in 1949 but it was destroyed in the 2001 earthquake, following which they sold the land.

He said the family has constructed a shelter home for the elderly in the village.

The prime minister’s school teacher, Dr Prahlad Patel, said he hopes to meet Narendra Modi who writes letters to him occasionally.

The prime minister will also inaugurate a medical college and a hospital, and a new building at the local railway station, according to officials.

With Gujarat gearing up for assembly elections, Prime Minister Modi will be attending a ‘bhumi pujan’ and foundation laying ceremony for several projects as well as launching government schemes.

There will be an exhibition of photos at the canteen of the local railway station where the prime minister's father used to prepare tea. Narendra Modi in his childhood would often help his father and paternal uncle, and also deliver tea to train passengers.

The prime minister will also be visiting the Dwarkadheesh temple in Jamnagar and will be doing the ‘bhumi pujan’ at Rajkot airport. He will also be addressing a public rally in Vadnagar.

Image: Preparations are in full swing in the village of Vadnagar ahead of PM Modi's visit to his birthplace. Photograph: PMOIndia/Twitter