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Vadodara, April 5: “I am no litterateur or poet, but I am Saraswati’s devotee... sometimes, the taste of raw mangoes manages to give a different taste”.

This Saturday when ghazal singers and poets will gather at Bhaidas Hall in Mumbai and recite poetry from Aankh a Dhanya Chhe (Blessed are these Eyes), Gujarat will discover that there’s another side to its Chief Minister — Narendra Modi, Hindutva’s poster-boy, is also a poet.

Complete with photos taken in gardens with flowers in full bloom, a coffee table anthology of Modi’s poems, running into 130 pages and priced at Rs 500, will be released by Suresh Dalal, one of the most respected names in Gujarati literature, and Image Publications, the publishing house that he heads.

Nothing political in Modi’s poetry though. It’s said to be all about nature, human nature and an occasional patriotic piece, all dedicated to mother tongue Gujarati.

Speaking to The Indian Express from Mumbai, Dalal said he chanced upon Modi’s poetry some years ago in a magazine he edits. “We met at a function in Mumbai and he said something to which I said it’s good poetry. And then this book happened”.

“There is no political poem. There’s patriotism in Patang Utsav. He does not deal with contemporary themes. I will say he’s in tradition without being traditional in poetry. He has a good sense of lyrics, prose, poetry,” said Dalal.