New Delhi, Sep 19 (IANS): As Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed a poll rally in Srinagar on Thursday, a riveting tale of an Anantnag-based farmer gifting him Pheran, the traditional Kashmiri robe, surfaced.

Irshad Hussain Naikoo, a farmer from Anantnag narrated the heart-warming story and recalled how he overcame obstacles to weave a Pheran for his "ideal" leader, and the joy he felt when PM Modi wore it at an event in Srinagar.

Naikoo dreamt of meeting PM Modi Modi since 2013. Despite his financial hardships, he always wanted to gift something special to the Prime Minister.

In a video message, he recalled the experience and said: "I admired Narendra Modi for a long time and wanted to meet him. Since 2013, I started saving money to buy him a gift. After a few years, I decided to make a Pheran, the traditional Kashmiri dress, for the Prime Minister.

“I bought a good fabric with the money I had saved. But there was a challenge—I didn’t know PM Modi’s measurements. Then it came to my mind that my father has a similar build. So, I took my father to the tailor. With his measurements, I explained exactly how I wanted the Pheran to be made,” he said.

After stitching the traditional Kashmiri garment, he headed to Delhi, though unsure whether he would be able to deliver.

“I went to the Prime Minister's residence, but couldn’t get past the security. So, I returned to Kashmir and decided to send the Pheran by courier,” he added.

A few days later, while working in his fields, he received an unexpected call. The caller asked for his details and inquired if he had visited the Prime Minister's residence.

He further recalled: “The caller informed me that he was from Prime Minister's Office and told me that PM Modi was wearing the Pheran I had gifted him. In fact, the Prime Minister had arrived in Kashmir to address a rally, wearing the very Pheran I had sent.”

That moment left him elated and overjoyed. He went home and checked the event online and saw PM Modi, wearing the Pheran that he had sent him.

“It’s truly a memory I will cherish forever,” he said.