Congress president Sonia Gandhi on Friday turned 66. The first among those who wished her was Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.
Dr Singh called her up on the phone and sent a bouquet to her.
Later in the day party leaders and workers thronged her official residence to celebrate the occasion.
Special prayers were offered at a mobile temple outside Mrs Gandhi’s 10, Janpath residence and enthusiastic Congress workers cut huge cakes and distributed it to all gathered there.
A number of party leaders, including Andhra Pradesh chief minister Kiran Reddy, several Union ministers, including external affairs minister S.M. Krishna, members of Parliament K. Keshava Rao, K.S. Rao, Sudarshan Natchiappan and Jammu and Kashmir state Congress chief Saifuddin Soz visited Mrs Gandhi’s residence and greeted her.
A group of party workers had installed a Ganesha idol on a mini-truck and were seen offering prayers for a long and healthy life for the Congress party president.
Mrs Gandhi, however, had appealed to party workers not to take a lot of trouble and spend money to come all the way to Delhi from far off places to greet her.
Despite the appeal, party workers gathered at Mrs Gandhi’s residence since early morning beating drums and taking out processions to celebrate her birthday.