PM Modi abandons historic bond with Xi Jinping

In a candid conversation on Nikhil Kamath's WTF podcast, Prime Minister Narendra Modi revealed an intriguing reason behind Chinese President Xi Jinping's desire to visit Gujarat. It turns out the visit wasn't just about diplomacy, but also a historical connection dating back more than 1,400 years.

“President Xiduring a courtesy visit in 2014, told me that I wanted to come to India and visit Gujarat. He told me there was a connection between him and me,” Modi said.

The connection? The legendary Chinese philosopher Xuanzang, also known as Hiuen Tsang, who once stayed in Modi's ancestral village, Vadnagar.

A Chinese philosopher named Xuanzang stayed in your village in India for a long time and when he returned to China, he stayed in my village, Xi said according to Modi.

This unexpected revelation was shared by Modi during an interview with Nikhil Kamath, co-founder of Zerodha. The prime minister explained the historical connection Xi had with Vadnagar, where Xuanzang reportedly spent time during his travels across India.

Modi even remembers writing to a filmmaker making a film on Xuanzang, urging them to highlight its connection to Vadnagar.

As for his own connection with Vadnagar, PM Modi had fond memories of his childhood. I used to wash the clothes of everyone in my family, due to which I had permission to go to the pond, he shared, adding that his swimming lessons were held in a small village pond.

He also remembered his school days in Vadnagar fondly, admitting that he was an average student with few standout moments. I wasn't someone who would stand out. But there was a teacher who took interest in me and told my father that I was a talented student, Modi recalls.

He went on to reveal that as a student, he avoided anything related to competition but participated in other activities. “I used to run away from anything to do with competition,” he laughed, offering a candid insight into his early years.

Coming back to the bigger picture, Modi revealed how Xi's visit to Vadnagar was rooted in the ancient connection with Hiuen Tsang, who had written about the existence of 10 Buddhist monasteries in Vadnagar around 1,400 years ago.

When I became Prime Minister in 2014, world leaders made courtesy visits. Chinese President Xi also paid a courtesy visit during which he said he wanted to come to India. I said “you're welcome, you have to visit”. He said he wanted to visit Gujarat and my village, Vadnagar, Modi said.

In 2014, Xi visited Gujarat on Modi's 64th birthday, where the prime minister showed him a photo gallery showcasing Vadnagar's Buddhist roots. The visit was symbolic, marking the deeper cultural ties between the two nations, long before they made headlines in international politics.

In 2017, during Xi's visit to Gujarat, Prime Minister Modi again spoke about the historical importance of Vadnagar. Vadnagar is not just any village; it has an ancient connection to Xi's hometown of Xian, China.

In fact, archaeological excavations carried out by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) have corroborated Xuanzang's writings, uncovering traces of Buddhist monasteries and establishing the importance of Vadnagar in India's rich Buddhist heritage.

The village, called O-nan-to-pu-lo” by Xuanzang, was later renamed Anandapura. Historical records also show that during Xuanzang's visit, the area was ruled by Harshavardhana of Kannauj, whose philosopher the philosopher visited the court.

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