In Photos | Atal Bihari Vajpayee Through the Years

Atal Bihari Vajpayee, one of India’s most beloved Prime Ministers, breathed his last on 16 August at AIIMS, Delhi.

20 May, 1998 file photo, from left, Indian Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Defense Minister George Fernandes, founder of the Indian nuclear program APJ Abdul Kalam, and Atomic Energy Chief R Chidambaram display the victory symbol. 

(Photo: AP)

Former Prime Minster Atal Bihari Vajpayee breathed his last at 5:05 pm on Thursday, 16 August at All India Institute for Medical Sciences (AIIMS) after being in the hospital for nearly eight weeks. Vajpayee was India’s 10th prime minister, and India’s first non-Congress prime minister to complete a five-year-term.

Atal Bihari Vajpayee was born in Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh, on Christmas day in 1924. His father, Krishna Bihari Vajpayee, was a school teacher and a poet.

He was introduced to the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) through the Arya Kumar Sabha, the youth wing of the Arya Samaj.

Here’s a look at Vajpayee’s life through photos.

Atal Bihari Vajpayee (on the right) with Deen Dayal Upadhyaya during his time with the Jana Sangh.

Vajpayee (centre) with members of the Jana Sangh.

Over the course of his political career, Atal Bihari Vajpayee was elected to the Lok Sabha nine times, and twice to the Rajya Sabha.

In 1977, Vajpayee went on to become a founding member of the Janata Party, and served as External Affairs Minister in the Morarji Desai government.

Former US President Carter meets Atal Bihari Vajpayee during his 1978 visit to India when Vajpayee was External Affairs Minister.

25 April, 1996 file photo, BJP candidate for Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee greets supporters and is showered with rose petals at a campaign rally.

In this 30 Nov, 1997 file photo, Bharatiya Janata Party leaders LK Advani (R), Jaswant Singh (C) and Atal Bihari Vajpayee (L) address reporters after meeting with Indian President KR Narayanan. 

Vajpayee remained unmarried throughout his life and on more than one occasion called the Sangh and all its members his family.

20 May, 1998 file photo, from left, Indian Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Defense Minister George Fernandes, founder of the Indian nuclear program APJ Abdul Kalam, and Atomic Energy Chief R Chidambaram display the victory symbol. 

1999 file photo, Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, receives Indian Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee at the Wagah border near Lahore.

15 January, 1999 file photo, Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, center, meets with delegations ahead of Eid ul-Fitr in New Delhi.

In this April 11, 2002, file photo former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee is seen at Angkor Wat temple at Siem Reap, northwest of Phnom Penh in Cambodia. 

Atal Bihari Vajpayee slowly withdrew from the public eye, citing dementia and diabetes as the reasons for his retirement.

Towards the end of his life, his closest aides said that he mostly spent his time at home, and even failed to recognise people he knew. He is survived by his adopted daughter Namita, and granddaughter Neharika.

In this 4 January, 2004, file photo former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee is seen with the then Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf and Pakistani PM Zafarullha Khan Jamali at a meeting in Islamabad. 

23 Aug, 2004 file photo, senior Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP) leader Atal Bihari Vajpayee, center, leaves after a meeting at the party headquarters in New Delhi. 

In this 25 July, 2004, file photo former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee leaves for the aeriel survey of flood-hit areas in Patna, Bihar.

2 May, 2004 file photo, Atal Bihari Vajpayee greets the audience as he arrives for a ceremony at the Presidential Palace.

25 March, 2004 file photo, Indian Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee gestures during a photo session at his residence.