Prime Minister’s mother Hiraba passes away: A ‘tapasvi…selfless’

She is survived by five sons — Prime Minister Modi and his brothers Somabhai, Amrutbhai, Prahladbhai and Pankajbhai — and daughter Vasantiben.

The Prime Minister, who performed her last rites along with his brothers, said, “A glorious century rests at the feet of God. I have witnessed three qualities in Mother: the journey of a tapasvi (saint), a selfless worker and a life dedicated to values.”

#WATCH | Gandhinagar: Prime Minister Narendra Modi carries the mortal remains of his late mother Heeraben Modi who passed away at the age of 100, today. pic.twitter.com/CWcHm2C6xQ

— ANI (@ANI) December 30, 2022

“When I met her on her 100th birthday, she said one thing which I always remember. ‘Kaam karo buddhi thi, jivan jivo suddhi thi’ (work with wisdom and live a life of purity),” he said in a Twitter post.

Earlier, Hiraba’s body was taken from the hospital to the Vrundavan Bungalows in Raysan where she lived with her youngest son Pankaj.

The Prime Minister flew to Ahmedabad from Delhi and drove straight to Raysan. He offered floral tributes to his mother and bowed down at her feet.

शानदार शताब्दी का ईश्वर चरणों में विराम… मां में मैंने हमेशा उस त्रिमूर्ति की अनुभूति की है, जिसमें एक तपस्वी की यात्रा, निष्काम कर्मयोगी का प्रतीक और मूल्यों के प्रति प्रतिबद्ध जीवन समाहित रहा है। pic.twitter.com/yE5xwRogJi

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) December 30, 2022

Later, Modi and his brothers shouldered her mortal remains for some distance before placing them in a van. He also boarded the van which headed to a crematorium in Sector 30 in Gandhinagar.

As the last rites were being performed, the Prime Minister and his brothers were joined by Gujarat Chief Minister  Bhupendra Patel. Almost all senior state BJP leaders came to the crematorium to pay their last respects. Former Chief Ministers Shankersinh Vaghela and Vijay Rupani and Adani Group chairman Gautam Adani too were present there.

A Besnu ceremony for Hiraba will be held Sunday at Vadnagar, the family village in Mehsana district.

On Wednesday, the Prime Minister visited his mother in the hospital after she was admitted there.