Rajnath, Yogi to launch Modi 76th birthday bike yatra from Varanasi to Vadnagar

A host of dignitaries, including defence minister Rajnath Singh, Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath, his Andhra Pradesh counterpart N Chandrababu Naidu and several senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders, will participate in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s birthday celebrations in his parliamentary constituency Varanasi on Thursday, people familiar with the matter said on Wednesday.Sand artist Sudarsan Pattnaik presents a sand sculpture featuring the message 'Aashirwad Ka Diya - 25 Years of Seva - Happy Birthday Modi Ji' on the eve of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's 76th birthday, at Puri Beach, Odisha. (PTI)The celebrations will mark the launch of the BJP’s month-long “Seva Sankalp Abhiyan” to commemorate Modi’s 25 years in public service, first as Gujarat chief minister and then as PM.ALSO READ | PM Modi turns 76: The making of India’s longest-serving prime minister over 25 yearsRajnath, Yogi to flag off Varanasi-Vadnagar bike yatraRajnath Singh and Adityanath will flag off the “Seva Sankalp Bike Yatra” from Varanasi’s Rudraksh International Convention Centre on September 17 to Gujarat’s Vadnagar, Modi’s birthplace, in the presence of Naidu, Union minister Chirag Paswan and UP BJP president Pankaj Chaudhary, said Kashi region BJP chief Ashok Chaurasia. UP deputy chief ministers Keshav Prasad Maurya and Brajesh Pathak, and programme convenor VD Sharma, the Khajuraho MP, will also be present, the people said.Simultaneously, a bike rally will be flagged off from Vadnagar to Varanasi as part of the Seva Sankalp Abhiyan.The dignitaries will visit an exhibition at the convention centre showcasing Modi’s 25-year political journey. A public meeting will also be held.51 Seva Yatris to collect Ganga waterBefore embarking on the journey, 51 Seva Yatris (bikers) will collect Ganga water from Lalita Ghat and visit the Kashi Vishwanath Temple, where they will perform Jalabhishek, the ritual offering of water to the deity. They will then reach the convention centre for the launch of the yatra in Varanasi.ALSO READ | Lamps, street plays, influencers: Inside BJP's plans for PM Modi's 76th birthday todayChaurasia said the yatra will run from September 17 to October 17.Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM) national president Hemang Joshi will be present in Vadnagar to welcome the yatris.Joshi said youngsters from across the country will participate in the journey as Seva Yatris.Yatra to cover 10 states, 193 districtsAccording to him, Vadnagar symbolises the PM’s childhood, struggles and early-life inspirations, while Varanasi represents his current Lok Sabha constituency and a significant chapter of his public service.He said the journey would traverse 20 routes, each named after one of India’s sacred rivers. Operating in both directions, the journey will cover 10 states, 193 districts, 773 tehsils and 1,159 villages.ALSO READ | Russia sanctions bill threatening 100% tariffs on India, others clears House, heads to Trump's deskLok Sabha MP VD Sharma, the national in-charge of the Vadnagar-Varanasi bike rally, said, “The flag-off event in Vadnagar will be attended by Amit Shah, Gujarat chief minister Bhupendra Patel, state unit BJP president Jagdish Vishwakarma, Maharashtra deputy CM Eknath Shinde and Union minister Anupriya Patel among others.”