Mumbai, Feb 6: Legendary singer Lata Mangeshkar, who died early today after weeks of hospitalisation, was cremated with full state honours at Mumbai's iconic Shivaji Park this evening bringing an end to a splendid and decorated career in playback singing and Bollywood. She was 92.
Just before the last rites, the national flag in which the body was draped, was handed over to the family members. Lata Mangeshkar's brother Hridaynath Mangeshkar lit the funeral pyre of the singing legend.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the Shivaji Park to pay his last respects to the singer and met the Mangeshkar family members and consoled them. He left the venue before the funeral.
Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari, Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, NCP chief Sharad Pawar, megastar Shah Rukh Khan, lyricist Javed Akhtar, cricketer Sachin Tendulkar, among others, were also in attendance to pay their last respects.
A recipient of the Bharat Ratna, Padma Vibhushan, Padma Bhushan and Dadasaheb Phalke Awards, Lata Mangeshkar was an icon of Indian cinema, having sung playback for an extensive list of Hindi films.
One of the famous episodes of her life is when her music moved Jawaharlal Nehru to tears. On January 27, 1963 during the backdrop of the India-China war, Lata Mangeshkar sang Aye Mere Watan Ke Logon in the presence of the then Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, bringing him to tears.
Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan also offered tribute to the legendary singer.
"With the death of Lata Mangeshkar the subcontinent has lost one of the truly great singers the world has known. Listening to her songs has given so much pleasure to so many people all over the world," Mr Khan tweeted.
Lata Mangeshkar, who belonged to a prominent musical family, also composed music as well as produced a handful of films. She was popularly known as the 'Nightingale of India.'
In her melodious voice, Lata Mangeshkar had sung over 50,000 songs in 14 languages since her radio debut in 1941.
The central government has announced a two-day "state mourning" on the death of the legendary singer. The national flag will fly at half mast from February 6 to February 7 throughout India and there will be no official entertainment in this period.
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