India, Sept. 17 -- Vadnagar, a town with a population of around 40,000, is one of Gujarat's oldest settlements, with evidence of continuous habitation for over 2,500 years. In recent years, archaeological excavations have revealed remains from the Mauryan and Buddhist periods. The town hosts the Vadnagar Archaeological Experiential Museum, a civil hospital, schools and colleges.

It is also the birthplace of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

In the narrow lanes of Ghanchi Pol at Lala Levani Sheri, where Modi spent his early years, memories of the PM remain alive. Sakriba Patel, 97, who lives next to what was once the Modi family home, recalled Modi's late mother, Hiraben.

The original house no longer exists, leaving a vacant plot where some...