As PM Modi Turns 64, His Mother Gives Him a Special Gift

Early this morning, Prime Minister Narendra Modi met his mother in Gandhinagar to seek her blessings on his 64th birthday.

Hiraben, 95, gifted him with Rs. 5000 to be donated to the Prime Minister's Relief Fund for Jammu and Kashmir.

The Prime Minister drove 23 km from Ahmedabad to his mother's Gandhinagar residence in a lone vehicle, without security.

As he arrived, Mr Modi touched his mother's feet and they spent 15 minutes together. Mr Modi makes it a point to meet his mother first thing in the morning on his birthday. This is his first visit to Gujarat after he took over as PM.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is offered sweets by his mother as he meets her on the occasion of his 64th birthday.

The BJP swept the poll with PM Modi winning both his seats, Vadodara and Varanasi. He was elected the head of the BJP parliamentary party on May 20. As he entered Parliament House to attend the party meet in May, Mr Modi had knelt and touched his forehead to the ground in a freeze-frame moment that will undoubtedly become an iconic photo in years to come.

Officials in Mr Modi's government and local business leaders in Gujarat paint the picture of a man with a phenomenal memory, great attention to detail, unflagging energy and a flair for publicity. People who have met him say nothing escapes him. But they also describe him as a man with a vindictive streak, capable of holding grudges for years and intolerant of dissent.

Narendra Modi was born on September 17, 1950, into a middle-class family in Vadnagar, Gujarat. He famously ran a tea stall as a teenager and was also involved with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh and the Sangh Parivar. Mr Modi holds degrees in political science from the Delhi and Gujarat Universities.

Narendra Modi rose through the ranks of the RSS to join the BJP's state unit in a Gujarat then dominated by Shankarsinh Vaghela and Keshubhai Patel. As organizing secretary, a post he was elected to 1988, Mr Modi helped marshal the BJP's forces to victory in the 1995 state elections.

Narendra Modi started climbing the political ranks quickly once the BJP came to power in Gujarat in 1995. Over the next six years, he went from being national secretary to general secretary and finally, in 2001, rose to the post of Chief Minister of Gujarat, an office he held for three-and-a-half terms.

Mr Modi was promoted to Chief Minister by his party at a time when the BJP was reeling from defeat in the by-elections, resulting in then-Chief Minister Keshubhai Patel resigning from office.

Taking over as Chief Minister could not have come at a tougher time for Mr Modi. Earlier that year, Gujarat had been devastated by an earthquake growth was almost non-existent in the state. However, under Mr Modi's charge, Gujarat recovered and made progress.

Trouble began for Mr Modi in 2002 after a fire engulfed a train carrying members of a Hindu nationalist organization, killing 59 people on board. Many Hindus blamed Muslims for the fire and began rampaging through Muslim neighborhoods. For weeks, spasmodic and brutal violence continued between Muslims and Hindus. Mr. Modi's critics have blamed him for doing too little to stop violence against Muslims, and in some cases, they allege, even abetting the violence.

After the riots, opposition parties stalled Parliament and there were calls for Narendra Modi to resign. Mr Modi did resign, but took charge of office once again, shortly after the BJP won the state re-elections, being led by none other than Mr Modi himself.

Mr Modi has been accused of not doing enough to stem the riots in 2002, and even of quietly encouraging them. He has always denied these accusations and they have never been proved in inquiries.

Mr Modi won the state assembly elections in 2007 and 2012. He was midway through his fourth term as Chief Minister of Gujarat this year.

He also holds the record for the longest serving Chief Minister of the state.

Controversies apart, Narendra Modi has been singled out for praise from most quarters for transformig Gujarat into India's most industry and investor friendly state.

On September 13, 2013, just four days before his 63rd birthday, Narendra Modi was named the BJP's candidate for Prime Minister in 2014. Party veteran L K Advani, however, was said to be unhappy with the decision.

Narendra Modi, pictured here meeting his mother on his 63rd birthday, is married to and separated from retired school teacher Jashodaben. He named her as his wife on the poll affidavit he filed as the BJP's candidate from Vadodara. This was the first time he publicly acknowledged his wife.

Mr Modi is known for his ascetic lifestyle and enthusiasm for yoga. He rises early and has for years read news on the Internet. He uses social media very effectively, tweeting extensively and has nearly four million followers on Twitter.

This year, not only has Mr Modi has gone in all guns blazing on the campaign trail, he has been photographed with many of India's best known and loved personalities including actors Rajinikanth and Salman Khan.

This image was posted on Twitter by @narendramodi