Srinagar: The world of music today lost a voice that enthralled billions across globe as India’s Nightingale, legendary Lata Mangeshkar, passed away today at a Mumbai Hospital. She was 92.
Crowds of mourners of mourners walked, many thousands lined the 10-kilometre route and millions tuned onto their screens — to say goodbye to the woman who had been an integral part of their lives since decades, as a flower-bedecked cortege went from Mangeshkar’s Peddar Road home to Shivaji Park for the last rites.
Mangeshkar, whose name was written into legend long years before she took her last breath in Mumbai’s Breach Candy Hospital, had been in hospital since January 8 when she was diagnosed with Covid with mild symptoms. She was also diagnosed with pneumonia.
The government announced a two-day “state mourning” for Mangeshkar, who had a prodigious almost eight-decade career in which she sang an estimated 25,000 songs in as many as 36 Indian languages, including Hindi, Marathi, Tamil and Kannada, and across classical and other genres.
The national flag will fly at half mast from February 6 to February 7 throughout India.
The Indore-born Mangeshkar is survived by her siblings Meena, Asha, Usha and Hridaynath. Her coffin was draped in the tricolour and placed on the hearse draped in white flowers with a giant photograph of the singer known as “Nightingale of India”, “melody queen” or “Lata didi” to so many.
Sounds of “Lata Mangeshkar Amar Rahe” could be heard through the route.
President Ram Nath Kovind and Prime Minister Narendra Modi lead a heartbroken nation in remembering her.
“Lata-ji’s demise is heart-breaking for me, as it is for millions the world over. In her vast range of songs, rendering the essence and beauty of India, generations found expression of their inner-most emotions. A Bharat Ratna, Lata-ji’s accomplishments will remain incomparable,” the president said.
The prime minister said he was “anguished beyond words”.
“The kind and caring Lata Didi has left us. She leaves a void in our nation that cannot be filled. The coming generations will remember her as a stalwart of Indian culture, whose melodious voice had an unparalleled ability to mesmerise people,” he said in a tweet.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said she remained the “most beloved voice of India for many decades” and added that her immortal golden voice will continue to echo in the hearts of her fans.
The death of melody queen was mourned in Kashmir too with Lt Governor and several political leaders expressing their grief.
Netizens flooded the social networking sites with condolence messages and tributes to the legend that Lata Mangeshkar was.
Paying tributes to Lata Ji, Lt Governor, Manoj Sinha tweeted: “A spirit and soul beyond compare. Lata Didi’s demise is an irreparable loss to the nation. The sadness today is beyond words. You were a light, blessed with a golden voice. Lata Didi’s greatness, her voice, her music will live with us forever. Om Shanti!”
Jammu and Kashmir National Conference paid rich tributes to the great singer.
“Lata Mangeshkar represented an entire era, and a lasting phase in the annals of Indian music. Her melodious voice transcended all barriers of language, caste, creed, culture, boundaries, region and religion. She was an institution in herself. Rest in peace!,” the party tweeted from its official handle.
The party vice president, Omar Abdullah tweeted: “My earliest memories of music are of my father playing songs from movies like Aandhi, Sargam, Noori & Guide. These soundtracks have never dropped off my list of favourites.Along the way I added movies like Karz, Kabhi Kabhi, & Asha. There will never be another #LataMangeshkar RIP.”
Describing Lata Ji’s voice as utterly melodious, JKPC chairman Sajad Lone tweeted: “Rest in peace. One of the greatest singers’ ever. Utterly melodious.”
Expressing her grief over the demise, PDP president, Mehbooba Mufti tweeted: “Lata ji’s passing away is a huge loss to the country. We all grew up listening to her melodious voice & no words will suffice to express the grief we feel. Condolences to her family & millions of fans all over the world.”
Senior Congress leader and former J&K chief minister, Ghulam Nabi Azad, whose wife Shamima Azad Dev too is a popular singer, also expressed his grief over the demise of Lata Ji.
Azad tweeted: “Me and my wife are deeply saddened to hear about the demise of legendary singer Lata Mangeshkarji. The nightingale of India enriched the world with her melodious voice. She will live forever in the hearts of music lovers of the world. I pray Almighty that her soul may rest in peace.”
