Prime Minister Narendra Modi began his three-day visit to poll-bound Gujarat on Sunday by declaring Modhera in Mehsana district as India's first 24x7 solar-powered village, and said the people of the state blessed him and reposed trust in him for the last two decades irrespective of his caste and political background.

On the first day of his latest visit to his home state, where elections are due in December this year, Modi inaugurated and laid the foundation stone for multiple projects worth over Rs 3,900 crore in Modhera. During the visit, he will launch projects worth more than Rs 14,600 crore. In his last visit to Gujarat on September 29-30, he had flagged off the Gandhinagar-Mumbai Vande Bharat Express train, launched the first phase of the Ahmedabad Metro rail.

After his arrival in Ahmedabad on Sunday evening, Modi went to Modhera, where he declared it as the country's first solar-powered village. Addressing a rally later, Modi said Modhera, famous for the Sun temple, will also be known as a solar-powered village.

He said the blessings of the people of Gujarat gave him the drive and strength to work for them, and it has kept growing.

"You neither looked at my caste, nor my political life. You blessed me blindly with all your love and affection, and you saw my work and kept attesting it. Not just me, you also blessed my friends. And as your blessings increase, my drive and strength to work keep growing," the prime minister said.

He said the people of Gujarat reposed trust in him for the last two decades, due to which Gujarat emerged as one of the prominent states in the country.

"For this, I bow before crores of Gujaratis for their patience. It is because of your efforts that the government and public worked together to create a new history. All this has been possible because of your immense faith," he said.

Before becoming the prime minister, Modi was the chief minister of Gujarat between 2001 and 2014. He hails from Vadnagar town, which is also located in Mehsana district.

The Assembly elections in Gujarat are crucial for the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which aims to retain power in the state, while the Congress hopes for a win after remaining out of power for 27 years in the state. The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has also entered the election arena.

The prime minister said changes do not happen easily as one needs foresight for it.

He said that Mehsana, the district in north Gujarat where agriculture suffered due to lack of water for irrigation, witnessed a change after he ensured water supply through schemes like Sujalam Sufalam.

"Gujarat was ranked the last in the country in the agriculture sector, which is why I paid attention to it, because if agriculture progresses, my village will progress, and if the village progresses, Gujarat will never lag behind," Modi said.

Due to lack of electricity and water, the previous generation in the region failed to make optimum use of its potential, but the present generation has opportunities in which the sky is the limit, he added.

Modi said industry and tourism will lead to development of the region.

In the past, we were not able to make cycles in Gujarat, now we are manufacturing cars and days are not far when we will make aeroplanes in the state, the prime minister added.

"Today, more people visit the Statue of Unity to pay homage to Sardar Patel as compared to the Statue of Liberty," he said, and expressed confidence that Modhera will also become the centre of tourism in no time. "You only need to remain prepared so that tourists don't return unhappy," he said.

Modi said that Vadnagar, his home town in the district, will also emerge as a tourism centre with archaeological discoveries.

"We have to make a big jump and not get caught. We have to do many times more than what we have done. If we get electricity and water, it will lead to industrial development, increase farm and milk production," he said.

Shifting to Gujarati intermittently during his speech, Modi said the solar rooftop project will help residents of Modhera not just generate free electricity for their needs but will also help them earn money by selling extra units of electricity to power distributors.

House owners and farmers have now become owners of electricity factories, he said.

"Whenever there will be talks of solar power, Modhera will be the first name to emerge. Because here everything is running on solar power. Whether it is light, farm....even effort is being made to run buses, vehicles on solar power," the PM said.

"For a self-reliant India of the 21st century, we have to encourage such efforts for our energy needs. I am working day and night to take the country in the direction of providing (energy security) for Gujarat, the country, and to our coming generation," he added.

After the event, Modi visited Modheshwari goddess temple in Modhera and performed darshan and pooja. He was accompanied by Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel and state BJP chief C R Paatil. Modi waved at the people standing along both sides of the road on his way to the temple.

The PM dedicated to the nation a gauge conversion project, ONGC's Nandasan geological oil production project, an irrigation canal project, road projects, and a building of a regional training centre for Sardar Patel Institute of Public Administration (SPIPA), among others.

He also laid the foundation stone for a new automated milk powder plant and UHT milk carton plant at Dudhsagar Dairy, redevelopment and reconstruction of a government hospital in Mehsana, etc.