Amit Shah visited Vadnagar in Gujarat on September 17, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s 76th birthday, and spoke about Modi’s long political career as well as the significance of his birthplace.
Shah offered prayers in Hatkeshwar Mahadev and took the initiative of organising the Seva Sankalp Abhiyan-related activities. One of the key events of the campaign is the motorcycle ride from Vadnagar to Varanasi, Modi’s birthplace, the constituency he represents in parliament.
As he spoke at the ceremony in Vadnagar, Shah said it was his good luck to visit Modi’s ancestral village and birthplace on the Prime Minister’s birthday. He also said he prayed at the feet of Hatkeshwar Mahadev for Modi’s long and healthy life. The visit was part of a series of events to celebrate Modi’s birthday and to commemorate his 25 years in public life.
The Seva Sankalp Abhiyan is being organised around Modi’s 25 years in public office. Modi became Gujarat’s Chief Minister on October 7, 2001, and became the Prime Minister in 2014. The campaign says the celebrations include outreach programs and motorcycle rides to and from Vadnagar and Varanasi from the road.
According to Shah’s remarks, a group of bikers would travel from Vadnagar to Varanasi, while another group would start from Varanasi. The journey will involve many states and villages for the message of Modi’s years in public service. The twin bike yatras were scheduled to start from Vadnagar and Varanasi on September 17 and end around October 7.
The campaign focuses on two places of particular significance in Modi’s political history. Vadnagar is his birthplace in Gujarat, where he was raised, and Varanasi is his parliamentary constituency since entering national politics. The route between the two cities is therefore to be presented by organisers as a symbolic link between his early life and his later political life.
Shah also referred to Modi’s 25-year track record of serving first as a state leader and as Prime Minister. His comments about Modi’s long and ongoing political service are part of the political messaging around this campaign. Both the dates of Modi’s tenure as Gujarat Chief Minister and his return as Prime Minister are independently confirmed.
The bike rides are just some of the programmes Modi’s birthday preparations are going forward. Based on Gujarat reports, this has included community activities, cultural programs, prayers, and other public affairs. The Seva Sankalp Bike Yatra has attracted particular attention as it connects Modi’s birthplace to Varanasi and is planned to continue beyond the birthday itself.
Some operational details of the motorcycle campaign, such as how many riders and bikes were involved, appear to differ depending on the reports. Some earlier reports put a number of people involved at hundreds and twin routes, while later reports said there was participation that went across states and districts. The broader picture is for the journey to form part of a wider outreach campaign that will be targeted at Modi’s 25 years of public life.
The campaign is also scheduled alongside a month-long programme of service and public outreach activities. The BJP’s Kashi region has described the Seva Sankalp Abhiyan as a series of programmes running from September 17 to October, with service, public engagement, and welfare themes at the forefront.
#WATCH | Vadnagar, Gujarat: On the occasion of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s 76th birthday, Union Home Minister Amit Shah says, "It is my good fortune to be visiting PM Modi's ancestral village—his birthplace—on his birthday... Today, I pray at the feet of Hatkeshwar Mahadev for… pic.twitter.com/2GlW7XanaZ
— ANI (@ANI) September 17, 2026
For Vadnagar, it places the Gujarat city at the center of national political attention on Modi’s 76th birthday. Varanasi’s celebrations highlight the connection of the city to his parliamentary career. The Seva Sankalp tours are designed by their organisers to unite these two parts of Modi’s political journey together and celebrate the 25-year anniversary.
Shah’s visit and the launch of the bike journey have thus become central to the birthday events. The programme combines political outreach with public activities and uses the Vadnagar-to-Varanasi route as a central symbol of Modi’s journey from his birthplace in Gujarat to national office.
