New Delhi:
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in his first podcast interview (PM Modi Podcast iNTERVIEW) with Zerodha co-founder Nikhil Kamath, mentioned Huang Tsang along with many other issues. Most people would definitely have this question in their mind that who was Huangsang, whom PM Modi mentioned in his interview and what is the story of his visit to India and stay in PM Modi’s village Vadnagar in Gujarat?
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PM Modi told in the interview that after he became PM for the first time in 2014, Chinese President Xi Jinping had expressed his desire not only to visit India but also to visit Gujarat and his village Vadnagar. The reason was Chinese philosopher Hiuen Tsang. Xi Jinping had told PM Modi that Chinese philosopher Hiuen Tsang had lived in your (PM Modi’s) village Vadnagar for the longest time. When he returned to China, he went to live in Xi Jinping’s village. Jinping told that he has this special connection with PM Modi.
Story of Hiuen Tsang’s visit to India and Vadnagar
Hiuen Tsang started his journey from the Chinese city of Chang’an to India in the year 629 at the age of 27. There was a civil war going on in China at that time. Bandits and robbers were prevalent there. Chinese citizens were not allowed to go out of the country. But Hiuen Tsang intended to study at Nalanda University. Nalanda was about four and a half thousand kilometers away from Chang’an.
When Hiuen Tsang reached Vadnagar
Hiuen Tsang reached Nalanda on foot through many states of India. Meanwhile, he also went to PM Modi’s village Vadnagar. He stayed there for some time. When he returned to China he pronounced Vadnagar as O-nan-too-pu-lo, which translates to Anandapur. This name is of the ancient city of Vadnagar. Hiuen Tsang wrote, “There are about ten Sangharams in Vadnagar, in which there are less than 1,000 monks. They follow the Hinayana sect of Buddhism. They study according to the Sammatya sect. There are many large deity temples in Vadnagar, of various types “People of the sect come there.”
Who was Hiuen Tsang?
- Hiuen Tsang was a Chinese traveler
- Hiuen Tsang is highly respected in China
- Hiuen Tsang was born in Luoyang, China in about 602 AD.
- He died on 5 February 664
- Hiuen Tsang was a philosopher, wanderer and translator
- Hiuen Tsang is called ‘Prince of Travellers’
- Hiuen Tsang’s journey to India lasted 16 years
- During his visit to India, he not only studied here but also traveled to many states.
- In the year 629, 27 year old Hiuen Tsang started his journey to India from the Chinese city of Chang’an.
PM Modi and Jinping’s connection with Hiuen Tsang
While mentioning Hiuen Tsang, PM Modi told that when he became the Prime Minister of the country, Chinese President Xi Jinping had called him to congratulate him. During this time he had said that he wants to come to India and he wants to go to Gujarat. He wants to go to Vadnagar. I asked, have you prepared the program till now? , On this Jinping said that I and you have a special relationship. Xi Jinping told that Chinese philosopher Hiuen Tsang stayed in your village Vadnagar for the most time. When he returned to China, he stayed in my (Jinping’s) village. This is the connection between both of us.
