New Delhi:
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is a true devotee of Maa Durga and the world came to know this when he kept a strict nine-day Navratri fast even during his visit to the United States in September last year.
Modi was reportedly on a liquid diet and consumed only lemonade (Nimbu Pani) and a cup of tea during the fast.
The Navratri fast is kept by people in different ways with some leaving food and consuming only fruits, kuttu preparations with rock salt and tea, while some observe it very strictly, having only water or tea.
According to MV Kamath, co-author of “Narendra Modi: The Architect of a Modern State,” Modi only has lemonade while fasting.
“Mr Modi is a man committed to his faith,” says Kamath.
Modi has been observing Navratri fast and other fasts since many years, this shows he has been a firm believer.
Fasting is an important part of Modi’s life as he hails from Gujarat, where you will hardly find any woman who has never kept fast in her life.
Vadnagar in Mehsana district of Gujarat is the birthplace of the Indian Prime Minister and is significantly famous for being home to several temples that are ancient and culturally rich.
Born on September 17, 1950 in a house which had several frames of Hindu Gods, Modi has been religious since childhood. Giripur Mahadev temple of Vadnagar is Modi’s favourite.
M V Kamath and Dr Kalindi Randeri’s book on the life of Modi states that he wanted to become a ‘sanyasi’ initially.
An astrologer who had seen Modi’s horoscope several years back had even claimed that either he will become “as powerful as an emperor if he gets into politics, or else he may become a sanyasi and eventually turn out to be like Shankaracharya."
Modi was attracted towards sadhus, tapasya, jaap, meditation and fasting, during his teenage days and he even ran away from his home.
He wandered at many places, including Himalayas, and stayed with sadhus for months. However, he returned back home after two years of wandering.
