New Delhi: 17th September is the birthday of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. This time he will be 76 years old. His story, which started from the streets of Vadnagar, has today reached the post of Prime Minister of the country, but there has been a phase of his life about which people still remain interested. This was the time when Narendra Modi left home at the age of just 17. He had neither any political position nor any ambition for power. He set out to see the country and understand himself. According to the biography recorded on the official website of the Prime Minister, during this period he travelled to different parts of India for about two years.
Where did Modi go from home at the age of 17?
Narendra Modi left home at the age of 17. Many things have been said about this part of his life over the years, but the details posted on the Prime Minister’s website clearly mention a two-year visit to India. During this time he saw different parts of the country. Live among different cultures and people. This was no ordinary tourist trip.
He left home at a time when he did not have the facilities like today. Going to places, meeting new people and living in a different environment was an experience in itself for him. When he returned after two years, his attitude was not the same as before. It is also said in the official biography that after returning he had more clarity about his life’s goal than before.
Where did he go after leaving home?
Often this period of Narendra Modi is linked only to his trip to the Himalayas. However, the biography available on the official website of the Prime Minister mentions his visit to India for about two years. During this time he saw different parts of the country and spent time at many spiritual places.
His connection with the Himalayas continued to be visible in later years also. The Prime Minister himself had said during an event in Himachal Pradesh that Himachal and the high peaks of the Himalayas have played an important role in giving direction to his life. This means that the travel at that time was not limited to just roaming around. This was also a period for him to understand himself and see India closely.
How much did Swami Vivekananda’s thoughts influence him?
Swami Vivekananda’s name has been associated with Narendra Modi’s life for a long time. Vivekananda’s thoughts influenced him greatly in his youth. His ideas related to service, nation building and spiritual consciousness continued to be visible in Modi’s life.
His association with Ramakrishna Mission also often comes up in this context. While travelling in different parts of the country, he came in contact with spiritual institutions and saints. This period further strengthened his thinking about society and country.
What did he do after returning?
After touring India, Narendra Modi reached Ahmedabad. From here the next chapter of his life began. He joined the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh and gradually became active in the work of the organisation.
While working with the Sangh, his life remained very disciplined. Going to the organisation’s programmes, contacting people and working in different areas became a part of his daily routine. With time his responsibilities increased and he became one of the key workers of the organisation.
After this his political journey started. Through organisational responsibilities in Gujarat, he became the Chief Minister of the state in 2001. After being in Gujarat politics for about 13 years, he became the prime minister of the country in 2014. In 2024, Narendra Modi took the oath as Prime Minister for the third consecutive time.
Did that journey become the foundation of future life?
It is easy to dismiss the two years after leaving home as just a past event in Narendra Modi’s life. But this was the time when he saw India very closely and lived among different types of people. The Prime Minister himself has remembered that period on many occasions. Later, when he entered public life, ideas related to service and spirituality came up again and again in his speeches and work. Modi has also said in a conversation that for him there may be an external difference between the lives of a saint and a leader, but the spirit of service should be at the core of both.
This is the reason why the journey from leaving home at the age of 17 to leading the country as Prime Minister at the age of 76 is one of the most talked about parts of Narendra Modi’s life.
