Lata Mangeshkar cremated with full state honours; PM Narendra Modi, CM Uddhav Thackeray and others attend - watch video

Lata Mangeshkar cremated with full state honours; PM Narendra Modi, CM Uddhav Thackeray and others attend - watch video

Sanjay Jog Sachin GaadUpdated: Sunday, February 06, 2022, 11:09 PM IST
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Mumbai: Defence personnel give gun salute to legendary singer Lata Mangeshkar during her last rites, at Shivaji Park, in Mumbai, Sunday, Feb. 6, 2022. | (PTI Photo)

Bharat Ratna Lata Mangeshkar, who enthralled millions with her divine voice, was cremated with full state honours Mumbai’s iconic Shivaji Park on Sunday. The veteran singer was 92. She had been admitted to the hospital on January 8 after developing Covid and pneumonia and passed away on Sunday morning.

As the nation mourns her loss, the tricolour will fly at half-mast from February 6 to February 7. There will also be no official entertainment in this period.

Her coffin was draped in tricolour and placed on the hearse draped in white flowers with a giant photograph of hers as the funeral procession made its way from her residence in south Mumbai to Shivaji Park in Dadar on Sunday evening.

A large number of people thronged the roads through which the cortege passed, as the melody queen made her final journey.

Police and military personnel gave a ceremonial salute and a band played the national anthem. Just before the last rites, the national flag in which the body was draped, was handed over to her family.

The last rites were performed by her brother Hridaynath Mangeshkar in the presence of the Mangeshkar family, including Asha Bhosle, Usha Mangeshkar, Hridaynath’s sons, daughter and wife.

Among the political dignitaries present were Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Maharashtra Governor B S Koshyari, Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, NCP Chief Sharad Pawar, Union Minister Piyush Goyal, Leader of the Opposition Devendra Fadnavis, cricketer Sachin Tendulkar, actor Shah Rukh Khan and others. Deputy Chief Minister and state finance minister Ajit Pawar, Home Minister Dilip Walse Patil, tourism minister Aaditya Thackeray were also in attendance.

“I am 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,” the PM tweeted.

“With the departure of Lata Didi, a great era has come to an end. We have lost her motherly blessings,” said Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray.

After paying his final respects to the deceased singer, PM Modi met CM Thackeray, who was accompanied by Rashmi and his son and Tourism Minister Aaditya Thackeray, and inquired about his health. Thackeray is currently recovering from spine surgery. Modi wished Thackeray a speedy recovery.

Megastar Amitabh Bachchan and his daughter Shweta, noted actor Anupam Kher, lyricist Javed Akhtar and filmmaker Sanjay Leela Bhansali were among those who paid tributes to Mangeshkar at her residence on Pedder Road in south Mumbai, located about 8km from the Shivaji Park before her mortal remains were taken for the last rites.

It was around noon on Sunday, when Matunga resident Anita Kamble who was in Pune, learnt of the demise of her favourite singer, whom she regarded as divinity and had always wanted to meet. She took a cab right away and reached Mumbai. She came walking to Shivaji Park where lakhs of others were paying their homage to the legendary singer. At the public area, she waited for two minutes without having a glimpse of her, “but I felt her in my heart,” said Kamble, who is visually impaired.

She recalled how she had won an award for singing a song by her beloved singer. Police had permitted her entry into the park from the opposite direction.

The queue for darshan, which opened as soon as her body was brought to Shivaji Park for the last rites, continued for several hours, with many choosing to wait at the site even after.

From youngsters to senior citizens, all thronged Shivaji Park to bid adieu to their favourite singer; some were carrying placards while some were trying to capture her in their mobile cameras while some were on video calls, sharing with their loved ones the last glimpse of ‘Lata Didi’. Her songs, mostly Marathi, were being played at the Shivaji Park in the evening as well. Those who waited for hours in the queue were also singing her songs in her memory.

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