She comes from an uneducated background

Kokilaben Patel was born in 1934, at a time when India was still a British colony. Her father was a telegraph office employee, and her mother was a housewife. Educational opportunities for girls were limited at this time, and Kokilaben was only educated up to the tenth grade. After her marriage, her husband Dhirubhai hired an English teacher for her to prepare her for public and business interactions.

She’s a strict vegetarian

Like many Indian Hindus, Kokilaben is a staunch vegetarian. In fact, she won’t even allow meat and meat products into her home. Luckily for her, her oldest son Mukesh adheres to the same strict dietary standards. Kokilaben’s favourite foods include roti (flat bread made from wheat flour), dal (lentils) and dhokli (thick flour noodles in pigeon pea stew).

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She has a massive car collection

Kokilaben, like her two sons, enjoys collecting cars. Her car collection is said to include a model from every major manufacturer, in the world but she certainly likes some models more than others. Her favourite car is a Mercedes-Benz. Her late husband’s favourite vehicle was a Cadillac limousine, but Kokilaben never uses it.

She enjoys travelling

Kokilaben Ambani enjoys travelling regularly and doesn’t let her age deter her from getting out and about. Her favourite international travel destinations are London and Switzerland. She used to go on holiday twice a year with her husband when he was still alive. Now she travels either on her own or with other family members.

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She’s close to her two sons, their wives and her grandchildren, so there is no lack of companionship. She attends her two daughters-in-law’s functions and regularly visits Hindu temples throughout her native India. Her favourite temple is the Dwarkadhish Temple in Jamnagar, but she also enjoys travelling to the Nathdwara in Rajasthan.

Her favourite colour is pink 

There is a reason why Kokilaben is nearly always photographed wearing a pink sari, and that is because it is her favourite colour. In India it is seen as symbolising purity and associated with ascetics and holy men, but she still enjoys wearing it at public functions and around the house.

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Kokilaben’s life story highlights just how much her family and her nation have changed in the last eight decades. She went from being an average, middle-class girl with less than a high school education to becoming the wife of an internationally famous businessman and the mother of the man who is currently the richest person in India. Even so, there are some things that have never changed in her life. She still adheres to her traditional values and customs, and her simple yet sincere manner has earned her the respect of millions of people both in her homeland and abroad.

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