From tea boy to India’s Prime Minister
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Bharat Kesari Delhi, International, National, States
 From tea boy to India’s Prime Minister
Huge win of modi in india

As a young boy, Narendra Damodardas Modi helped his dad serve tea in Gujarat’s Vadnagar railway station. At the age of 63, and as leader of India’s Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party, he has become the prime minister of the world’s largest democracy.

Born on September 17, 1950, into a low-caste family running a small business, his interest in politics was sparked at an early age: At eight, Modi associated with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, or the RSS, a powerful Hindu nationalist group which rejected secularism and wanted Hinduism enshrined in the Indian constitution. This policy, Hindutva, remains at the core of the BJP.

It was a logical step when Modi joined the BJP in 1985, as the party licked its wounds after winning just two seats in a disastrous showing in 1984 the Lok Sabha elections.

He rose steadily through the ranks, and was inducted into the national executive in 1991 after aiding Murli Manohar Joshi, a party senior, in his ekta yatra (unity journey) to bolster support.

Four years later, and now a stalwart, Modi worked hard behind the scenes to secure the party victory in Gujarat elections.

Despite his association with Joshi, it was LK Advani, the BJP’s most revered leader, who became his chief political mentor.

“It was Advani who mentored Modi when he virtually handpicked him into his team of state apparatchiks after recommendations from a few trusted peers in the late 1980s,” writes Nilanjan Mukhopadhyay in Modi’s biography, Narendra Modi: The man, the Times.

Longest Total Solar Eclipse of 21st Century on July 22, 2009
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Bharat Kesari National
Longest Total Solar Eclipse of 21st Century on July 22, 2009
Rare Celestial Event: Total Solar Eclipse on July 22, 2009 Draws Millions

A total solar eclipse occurred on Wednesday, July 22, 2009, at the Moon’s descending node of its orbit with a magnitude of 1.07991. A solar eclipse happens when the Moon passes between the Earth and the Sun, partially or fully obscuring the Sun’s image from viewers on Earth. When the Moon’s apparent diameter is larger than the Sun’s, it causes a total solar eclipse, turning day into darkness in a narrow path along Earth’s surface while a partial eclipse is visible over a wider surrounding area. This eclipse took place about 5.5 hours after the Moon’s perigee, meaning the Moon was closer to Earth and appeared larger in the sky, enabling the total coverage of the Sun by the Moon.

This event was the longest total solar eclipse of the 21st century, with totality lasting a maximum of 6 minutes and 38.86 seconds, witnessed off the coast of Southeast Asia. The corridor of totality spanned across northern India, eastern Nepal, Bhutan, the northern tip of Myanmar, central China, and the Pacific Ocean, including parts of Japan’s Ryukyu Islands. The eclipse attracted significant tourist and scientific interest across countries such as eastern China, Pakistan, Japan, India, Nepal, and Bhutan. Many major cities along the path experienced totality, including Surat, Vadodara, Bhopal, Varanasi, Patna, and Guwahati in India, as well as Chengdu, Shanghai, Wuhan, and Hangzhou in China. The Chinese government utilized this opportunity for scientific education and dispelling superstitions surrounding eclipses.

In Japan, this was the first eclipse in 46 years, but cloudy skies obstructed clear views for many observers. In Bangladesh, despite rain, thousands witnessed the eclipse lasting about 3 minutes and 44 seconds. The maximum phase occurred over the ocean south of the Bonin Islands, southeast of Japan. Innovative viewing experiences included a flight by China Eastern Airlines that followed the eclipse path for extended observation. The cruise ship Costa Classica also channeled along the centerline of totality to maximize viewing duration.

This eclipse was part of the Saros 136 series, which involves eclipses occurring at the Moon’s descending node. The July 22, 2009 eclipse’s long duration and wide visibility made it a major celestial event, surpassing others of the century, and it held unique significance until eclipses of comparable or longer duration occur in the future, such as one predicted in 2132.