Bugles sounded the last post, uniformed soldiers clicked their heels and a sombre silence fell over the crowd as former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee's mortal remains were consigned to the flames today evening, the sun setting on the life of a poet-politician who combined accommodative politics with graciousness.
Foster daughter Namita Kaul Bhattacharya lit the pyre as cries of "Atal Bihari Amar Rahe" reverberated.
President Ram Nath Kovind, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Congress president Rahul Gandhi and former prime minister Manmohan Singh were among the thousands of people at the Rashtriya Smriti Sthal on the banks of the Yamuna, the BJP patriarch's final resting place.
Several foreign dignitaries, including the king of Bhutan and the Bangladesh's foreign minister, were also present.
The former prime minister was accorded a state funeral with thousands of people joining his last journey.
After paying tribute to Atal Bihari Vajpayee, the tricolour wrapped on his body was handed over to Niharika Bhattacharya, his granddaughter.
Who is Niharika Kaul Bhattacharya?
Niharika's mother was adopted by Atal Bihari Vajpayee. Her father Ranjan Bhattacharya is a businessman and bureaucrat, who was also appointed an officer on special duty at PM’s office during Vajpayee’s 13-day tenure in May 1996. Her mother Namita Bhattacharya is Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s foster daughter and the biological daughter of his friend Rajkumari Kaul.
The death of former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee is a huge loss and his departure has left a void that would be "impossible to fill", his family members said on Thursday.
He passed away at AIIMS this on Thursday evening at the age of 93 due to prolonged illness.
Vajpayee, a bachelor, is survived by his adopted daughter Namita Kaul Bhattacharya.
With inputs from PTI
