Atal Bihari Vajpayee Age, Height, Family, Career, Net Worth, Lifestyle & Facts

PERSONAL INFORMATION

Nickname: Atal Ji, Baap Ji

Profession(s): Politician, Statesman, Poet, Author

Date of Birth: 25 December 1924

Birthplace: Gwalior State, British India (Now, Madhya Pradesh, India)

Age (at the time of death): 93 Years

Zodiac sign: Capricorn

Nationality: Indian

Hometown: Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh, India (His ancestral village is in Agra, Uttar Pradesh)

Religion: Hinduism

Caste: Brahmin

Food Habit: Non-Vegetarian

Age: 93 Years

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EDUCATION

School: Government Higher Secondary School, Gorkhi, Bara, Gwalior

College(s)/University: Victoria College (now, Laxmi Bai College), Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh, India Dayanand Anglo-Vedic (DAV) College, Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh, India

Educational Qualification(s): Graduation with distinction in Hindi, English, and Sanskrit from Gwalior’s Victoria College (now, Laxmi Bai College) M.A. in Political Science from Dayanand Anglo-Vedic College, Kanpur

PHYSICAL STATISTICS

Height (approx.): in centimeters – 168 cm in meters – 1.68 m in feet inches – 5’ 6”

Eye Colour: Black

Hair Colour: Grey

FAMILY & RELATIONSHIPS

Marital Status: Unmarried

Affair/Girlfriend: Rajkumari Kaul (Died in May 2014)

Wife/Spouse: N/A

Children: Son – None Daughter – Namita Bhattacharya (Foster) Granddaughter – Niharika Son-in-law – Ranjan Bhattacharya (Businessman, Bureaucrat)

Parents: Father – Krishna Bihari Vajpayee (a Poet and School Teacher) Mother – Krishna Devi (Homemaker)

Siblings: Brothers – Avadh Bihari Vajpayee (Deputy Secretary in the Madhya Pradesh Government), Prem Bihari Vajpayee (worked in the state co-operative department), Suda Bihari Vajpayee (ran a book publishing firm) Sisters – Urmila Mishra (Homemaker), Vimala Mishra (Homemaker), Kamala Devi (Homemaker) For more details about his siblings, click here

Song(s): “O mere majhi”, “sun mere bandhu re” by S.D. Burman and “Kabhi, Kabhi mere dil mein” by Mukesh and Lata

Girlfriend: Rajkumari Kaul

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS

Awards, Honours, Achievements: 1992: Awarded with Padma Vibhushan (the second highest civilian award in India) 1994: Given the Best Parliamentarian Award 2015: Awarded with Bharat Ratna (the highest civilian award in India)

MONEY FACTOR

Car Collection: Ambassadsor (Model 1987)

Assets/Properties: A flat in East Kailash, New Delhi (150.32 sq.mt; worth ₹22 lakh) A paternal house in Gwalior (1800 sq.ft; worth ₹6 lakh)

Salary/Pension (approx.): Lifetime rent-free accommodation, medical facilities, secretarial staff of 14, six domestic executive-class air tickets, unlimited train travel, office expenses against actual expenditure for five years, SPG cover for one year. After five years, one personal assistant and peon, air and train travel, ₹6,000 for office expenses.

Net Worth (approx.): ₹60 lakh (as in 2004)

OTHER INFORMATION

Political Party: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)

Political Journey: 1951: Joined Bharatiya Jana Sangh (a newly formed Hindu right-wing political party) and was appointed its National Secretary of the northern region. 1957: Contested the Lok Sabha elections from Mathura in Uttar Pradesh and lost to Raja Mahendra Pratap. However, he was elected to the Lok Sabha for the first time from Balrampur in Uttar Pradesh. 1968: Became the National President of Jana Sangh. 1977: Became the External Affairs Minister in Morarji Desai’s Cabinet. 1980: Founded Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) along with his colleagues and became its first National President. 1996: On 16 May, he became the 10th Prime Minister of India. 19 March 1998 to 22 May 2004: Again served as the Prime Minister of India. 2005: Took retirement from all political activities.

Date of Death: 16 August 2018

Place of Death: AIIMS, New Delhi

Cremation Site & Resting Place: Rashtriya Smriti Sthal, near Rajghat, New Delhi

Death Cause: Age related ailments

Address (at the time of death): 6-A, Krishna Menon Marg, New Delhi – 110011

Hobbies: Doing Poetry, Cooking, Listening to Indian Music, Reading, Travelling

Politician(s): Syama Prasad Mukherjee, P. V. Narasimha Rao

Leader(s): Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi (Mahatma Gandhi) , Jawaharlal Nehru

Authors: Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay, Premchand

Poet(s): Harivansh Rai Bachchan , Ramnath Awasthi, Dr. Shiv Mangal Singh Suman, Surya Kanth Tripathi ‘Nirala’, Bal Krishna Sharma Naveen, Jagannath Prasad Milind and Faiz Ahmed Faiz

Classical Artist(s): Bhim Sen Joshi, Amjad Ali Khan and Hariprasad Chaurasia

Playback Singer(s): Lata Mangeshkar , Mukesh and S.D. Burman

Musician: Sachin Dev Burman (S. D. Burman)

Actor(s): Sanjeev Kumar, Dilip Kumar

Actresses: Suchitra Sen, Rakhee and Nutan, Hema Malini

Film(s): Bollywood – Devdas (1955), Bandini (1963), Teesri Kasam (1966), Mausam (1975), Mamta (1966), and Aandhi (1975) Hollywood – The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957), Born Free (1966), and Gandhi (1982)

Destination: Manali (Himachal Pradesh, India)

Food(s): Chinese Cuisines, Prawns, Mungode, Gajar Ka Halwa, Alwar Milk Cake, Khichdi, Poori-Kachori, Dahi-Pakori, Kheer, Malpua, and Kachauri

INTERESTING BACKGROUND INFORMATION

Atal Bihari Vajpayee, a towering figure in Indian politics, was born into a family deeply rooted in education and public service. His ancestral village, Bateshwar in the Agra district of Uttar Pradesh, set the backdrop for a lineage marked by perseverance and intellect. His grandfather, Pandit Shyam Lal Vajpayee, migrated to Morena in Madhya Pradesh, establishing a legacy that would influence generations. Growing up, Atal received his early education from the same institution where his father, Krishna Bihari, served as headmaster. The school, Gorkhi, Maharaja Bara in Gwalior, was not just a place of learning; it was where his father penned the school prayer, leaving a lasting imprint on Atal’s formative years. His academic journey continued at DAV College in Kanpur, where he earned a first-class postgraduate degree in Political Science, further solidifying his foundation for a life of public service and activism.

Atal’s political consciousness was ignited during his formative years, beginning with his involvement in the Arya Kumar Sabha of Gwalior. Influenced by Babasaheb Apte, he joined the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) in 1939, and by 1947, he became a full-time Prcharak. Before immersing himself in the RSS, he had contemplated the ideals of Communism, which provided a contrasting perspective to his later political affiliations. While studying Law at DAV College, he shared a hostel room with his father, but the tumult of the partition riots forced him to abandon his studies. It was during this time that he was sent to Uttar Pradesh as a Vistarak, marking the beginning of his journey in journalism, where he worked with Deendayal Upadhyaya’s newspapers, including Panchjanya and Rashtradharma. His activism was not without sacrifice; in 1942, he was arrested for 23 days during the Quit India Movement, a pivotal moment that underscored his commitment to India’s independence.

Vajpayee’s political career gained momentum as he became an aide to Shyama Prasad Mukherjee, the founder of the Bharatiya Jana Sangh. His activism reached a critical juncture in 1953 when he undertook a fast-unto-death alongside Mukherjee to protest against the permit system for visiting Kashmir. This act of defiance came at a heavy price, as Mukherjee’s death during the protest left a profound impact on Vajpayee. In 1957, he was elected to the Lok Sabha from the Balrampur constituency, marking his entry into mainstream politics. His maiden speech in Parliament garnered admiration from seasoned politicians, including Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, who foresaw a bright future for him. As the political landscape shifted in 1977, marking the end of three decades of Congress rule, Vajpayee stepped into the role of External Affairs Minister, becoming the first person to address the United Nations in Hindi. His tenure was marked by notable achievements, including fostering diplomatic ties with the United States and hosting President Jimmy Carter in India in 1978.

Vajpayee’s political career was characterized by both triumph and controversy. He ascended to the position of Prime Minister three times—first for a brief 13 days in 1996, then for 13 months in 1998, and finally, he served a full five-year term starting in 1999. This made him the only non-Congress Prime Minister to achieve such a feat. His leadership was pivotal during significant events, such as India’s nuclear tests at Pokhran in May 1998, which established the country as a nuclear power. Furthermore, his bus journey to Lahore in 1999 aimed to strengthen Indo-Pakistani relations, showcasing his commitment to diplomacy. Despite a largely corruption-free political life, he faced criticism for inciting mobs during the demolition of the Babri Mosque in Ayodhya in 1992. Yet, his enduring legacy as a statesman and poet remains intact; he was a prolific writer whose verses resonated with many, including renowned playback singers like Lata Mangeshkar.

Beyond the political arena, Vajpayee was known for his warm and compassionate nature, even towards animals. His love for poetry and his ability to articulate thoughts eloquently made him a beloved figure in Indian society. After a prolonged health battle, including a stroke in 2009 that affected his speech, Vajpayee passed away on August 16, 2018. His death marked the end of an era, but his contributions to Indian politics continue to inspire and resonate with the nation. In a poignant tribute to his life and legacy, Prime Minister Narendra Modi released commemorative ₹100 coins on December 24, 2018, a day before what would have been Vajpayee’s 94th birthday, ensuring that his memory

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Note: All biographical information compiled from publicly available sources.