Modi Shares Surprising Link Between His Hometown and Xi Jinping’s Village

In the first podcast with Zerodha co-founder Nikhil Kamath, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi shared intriguing details about a historical link between his hometown Vadnagar, Gujarat, and Chinese President Xi Jinping's ancestral village. This connection, Modi revealed, traces back to the Chinese philosopher and traveller Xuanzang (Hiuen Tsang).

Recalling an interaction shortly after assuming office in 2014, Modi said, “After becoming Prime Minister, many global leaders called to congratulate me. Chinese President Xi Jinping was among them. During our conversation, he expressed a desire to visit India. I welcomed him warmly, and he mentioned his interest in visiting my hometown Vadnagar.”

Modi was surprised by Xi Jinping’s specific mention of Vadnagar and inquired about it. Xi Jinping explained that Xuanzang, a renowned Chinese traveller and philosopher, had lived in Vadnagar for an extended period during his travels. Xi further shared that Xuanzang later returned to China and lived in his ancestral village, thus establishing a historical connection between the two places.

Xi Jinping followed through on his interest, visiting Gujarat on September 17, 2014—Modi’s 64th birthday. The visit became a significant moment in fostering bilateral relations between India and China.