Even as former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee received the Bharat Ratna, the highest civilian accolade in Independent India, the prevailing atmosphere from his friends, former colleagues and well-wishers present at the ceremony at his 6, Krishna Menon Marg residence in the national capital was a festive one.
The guest list at the event was a who's-who of the Bharatiya Janata Party - the invitees included Prime Minister Narendra Modi, party president Amit Shah, veterans Murli Manohar Joshi and LK Advani, Union Ministers Rajnath Singh, Arun Jaitley, Harsh Vardhan, Nitin Gadkari and Venkaiah Naidu.
Others present at the occasion included former prime minister Dr Manmohan Singh, former president APJ Abdul Kalam and RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat.
The atmosphere was one of joviality, with old friends chatting and congratulating Vajpayee's adopted daughter Namita Bhattacharya. Many present also professed their disbelief - why had it taken the country so long to honour the great statesman?
A few students of Sanskriti School were also present on the occasion, presenting a bouquet to Prime Minister Modi.
Meanwhile, a select contingent, comprising Prime Minister Modi, Amit Shah, Rajnath Singh, LK Advani and his daughter Pratibha joined President Pranab Mukherjee as the latter conferred the Bharat Ratna to Vajpayee.
Later, the guests present spoke to the media, with each visitor recalling how Vajpayee had dedicated his life to the service of the nation. Each person seemed happy that the former prime minister was 'finally' conferred with the award.
Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Modi said the day was 'historic', and added that the 90-year-old Vajpayee is a source of inspiration for crores of Indians, including him.
He also showered praise on President Mukherjee for personally visiting the ailing statesman's residence to confer him with the honour.
Vajpayee was the country's first non-Congress prime minister who served a full five-year term - from 1998 to 2004. Last year, the party had celebrated his birthday - December 25 - as the Good Governance Day.
