Vajpayee was fan of Pandit Jasraj; called him 'Rasraj': Budhiraja
What's the story
The late Atal Bihari Vajpayee, a connoisseur of poetry and music, was a fan of the 88-year-old Hindustani classical-vocalist Pandit Jasraj and called him '"Rasraj" (King of Rasas).
"Pandit Jasraj disclosed that it was Atal ji who first called him 'Rasraj' during the launch of his authorized biography, 'Rasraj: Pandit Jasraj' in the US recently," the autobiography's author, Sunita Budhiraja, said.
Love for music
Vajpayee listened to old film music when admitted in AIIMS
"'Rasraj' was the upadhi (title) that Pandit Jasraj loves the most," Budhiraja said.
Budhiraja said Pandit Shivkumar Sharma, noted Indian classical musician, told her that among all the honors and titles Pandit Jasraj has received, "Rasraj" is the one he likes the most.
While at the AIIMS Delhi, Vajpayee listened to old film music and poetry on AIR FM Gold radio station, she said.
Information
Pandit Jasraj is a recipient of the Padma Shri
The 534-page book has incidents and anecdotes from Pandit Jasraj's life, from his tabla-playing days to his journey of becoming a renowned vocalist. The music maestro was honored with the Padma Shri in 1975, the Padma Bhushan in 1990 and the Padma Vibhushan in 2000.