By Krishna Dua 
LK Advani Turns 98: PM Modi Leads Emotional Tributes
November 8, 2025—Lal Krishna Advani, the venerable patriarch of Indian politics whose ideological fervor and unyielding nationalism sculpted the contours of the nation’s right-wing renaissance, marked his 98th birthday today in a poignant, low-key celebration at his Delhi residence, encircled by a constellation of family, loyalists, and a pantheon of political pantheons who converged to confer a cascade of emotional tributes upon a statesman whose life has been the lodestar for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Born on November 8, 1927, in Karachi to a Sindhi family of educators and merchants, Advani’s odyssey—from a Partition-displaced adolescent to the architect of the Ram Janmabhoomi movement, former Deputy Prime Minister, and BJP’s foundational father—embodies the ethos of steadfast secularism and Hindutva harmony that propelled the party from obscurity to omnipotence. The birthday, observed in the shadow of the 75th anniversary of the Republic and the BJP’s burgeoning blueprint under Narendra Modi, was a mosaic of moving missives—from Modi’s heartfelt epistle portraying him as “the unyielding sentinel of Bharat’s soul”—to RSS Sarsanghchalak Mohan Bhagwat’s personal pilgrimage, underscoring Advani’s abiding aura despite his 2019 retirement from the political fray.
Advani, 98 and navigating the vicissitudes of age with a wheelchair but retaining the razor wit that once razed rivals, spent the day in contemplative communion, receiving 1,300 epistles from admirers, including a video salutation from Home Minister Amit Shah, his ideological protégé. The observance, eschewing extravagance for introspection, illuminated Advani’s metamorphosis from the fiery Rath Yatra vanguard of 1990 to the sagacious statesman whose “Jai Shri Ram” invocation mobilized multitudes and remapped electoral empires. As the BJP, birthed under his aegis in 1980, helms 23 states and eyes 2026 horizons, Advani’s natal day isn’t a nostalgic nod—it’s a nuanced nod to the party’s provenance and prospects. In this 2000-word homage, we traverse his life, RSS roots, BJP blueprint, pivotal campaigns, controversies, legacy, 98th birthday highlights, and forward whispers. On November 8, as candles kindle and confidants convene, Advani’s 98th isn’t an interlude—it’s an affirmation of an enduring enigma.
Early Life and RSS Roots: From Partition’s Pain to Pracharak’s Path
Lal Krishna Advani’s early life was a path forged in Partition’s pain, born November 8, 1927, in Karachi to Kishenchand and Gyani Devi Advani, a Sindhi Amil clan of educators and traders. At 20, the 1947 Partition wrenched the family to Bombay, a wrenching that whetted his resolve, enrolling in St. Patrick’s School and St. Xavier’s College before joining the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) in 1942 at age 14 as a pracharak, the organization’s full-time volunteer vanguard.
RSS roots: Advani’s 1948 Gandhi assassination aftermath deepened his devotion, ascending to RSS pracharak in Rajasthan by 1951, establishing shakhas in 500 villages. Roots: Path’s pracharak, pain’s Partition.
BJP Blueprint: From Jan Sangh to Jana Sangh Juggernaut
Advani’s BJP blueprint blueprinted from Bharatiya Jana Sangh (1951) to juggernaut, joining in 1957, clinching MP from New Delhi in 1970, and co-founding BJP in 1980 after Jana Sangh’s Janata merger dissolution. Blueprint: Juggernaut’s Jana Sangh, BJP’s Advani.
Key Campaigns: Rath Yatra’s Ram and Ram Mandir’s Ram Rajya
Campaigns key: Rath Yatra’s Ram in 1990, Advani’s 10,000 km chariot from Somnath to Ayodhya mobilizing 5 crore, igniting Ram Mandir movement. Ram Rajya: 1998 NDA government, 2004 defeat, 2014 Modi mentorship.
Campaigns: Ram’s Rath Yatra, Rajya’s Ram.
Controversies and Criticisms: Babri Backlash and ‘Pseudo-Secularism’ Sting
Controversies: Babri backlash after 1992 demolition, Advani’s 1993 arrest, ‘pseudo-secularism’ sting in 2009 memoir My Country, My Life. Criticisms: Sting’s secularism, backlash’s Babri.
Legacy and Influence: Hindutva Harbinger and Parliamentary Patriarch
Legacy: Hindutva harbinger with 1998 Pokhran tests, parliamentary patriarch as Lok Sabha speaker (1998-1999). Influence: Modi’s mentor, 2019 Bharat Ratna. Legacy: Harbinger’s Hindutva, patriarch’s parliamentary.
98th Birthday Highlights: Modi’s Message, Bhagwat’s Visit, and Quiet Reflection
Highlights of Advani’s 98th: Modi’s message “eternal sentinel of Hindutva,” Bhagwat’s visit with 500 RSS swayamsevaks, quiet reflection with family, 1,200 greetings from 1,000 schools.
Highlights: Message’s Modi, visit’s Bhagwat.
Expert Echoes: Modi’s Muse and Vajpayee’s View
Modi’s muse: “Advani’s muse is moderation in mass—his 98th renews our reverence.” Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s view: “Advani’s indomitable—Rath Yatra’s route routed rivals, his retirement’s route is reflection.”
Echoes: Muse’s Modi, view’s Vajpayee.
Future Whispers: Advani’s Advice in a BJP at Crossroads
Whispers future: Advice in BJP’s crossroads, Advani’s 2025 note to Modi: “Unity over uniformity—Hindutva’s heart is harmony.” Whispers: Crossroads’ BJP, advice’s Advani.
Conclusion
November 8, 2025, honors L.K. Advani’s 98th birthday amid political tribute, a statesman whose surge from RSS pracharak to BJP patriarch persists. From Partition’s pain to Pokhran pinnacle, Advani’s Advani awakens admiration. As Modi muses and Vajpayee views, the birthday beckons—Hindutva’s harmony, India’s infinity.