Now worship Modi: A temple for Gujarat CM

AHMEDABAD: Love him - rather worship him - or hate him, Gujarat's larger than life Chief Minister Narendra Modi cannot be ignored. In fact, there is a small temple dedicated to him.
 
There is a full-size photograph of Modi at the temple that came up about two years ago at the entrance to Bhojpara village of Vankaner sub-district in Rajkot district, about 250 km from here.
 
The small temple was built by about 110 families of snake charmers who had been living a nomadic life in that area of Saurashtra.
 
"We were living in tents on the outskirts of Bhojpara two years ago, where Modi's government allocated land to us and we have now got our own houses," Nathusing, a community elder, told a Gujarati newspaper.
 
"Earlier our children used to spend time catching snakes or scorpions, now they are going to school," he said.
 
Grateful for this help, the community reveres him as nothing less than a god and congregates for prayers at the temple twice a day, the report said.
 
Modi's demigod status, which was enhanced after last month's election victory in the state, has also inspired a fan to pen a "Modi chalisa" on the lines of the Hanuman chalisa, a 40-verse salutation to the Hindu deity.