Farewell, Nightingale!

The body of Lata Mangeshkar is brought for final rites at Shivaji Park, Dadar, on Sunday. Pics/Satej Shinde

Legendary singer Lata Mangeshkar was cremated with full state honours on Sunday. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, several other politicians and celebrities joined a huge crowd of her fans for the funeral at Shivaji Park in Dadar. Mangeshkar, the nation's most beloved vocalist and an artiste who inspired many across the subcontinent, passed away on Sunday morning at Breach Candy hospital, at the age of 92.

PM Narendra Modi pays his last respects to the veteran singer

The CM has declared Monday, February 7, a state holiday to mourn the demise of the singer who is fondly known as Lata Didi. Mangeshkar's career in the Indian music industry has spanned over 70 years, during which she remained on top as several of her peers entered and exited the industry. Her contribution remains unmatched.

She spent the last few months of her life recovering from health problems and complications. She had contracted the novel Coronavirus, and suffered from severe symptoms of pneumonia last month. Mangeshkar was laid to rest with full state honours along with a gun salute, at Shivaji Park Maidan in Dadar, where Bal Thackeray's last rites were also conducted.

Asha Bhosle and sister Usha Mangeshkar at Shivaji Park

Security was beefed up at the hospital where she breathed her last, her house Prabhu Kunj in Peddar Road where she was taken before being brought to Shivaji Park. At the residence, close friends and family members were allowed to pay their last respects. Approximately 2,300 security personnel guarded the park, owing to the presence of the PM, CM and other senior political dignitaries. Local armed force, police force, units of Quick Reaction Team, riot control police, the state reserve police force, the delta force, a bomb squad and a dog squad were deployed.

Full state honours

The personnel of the Army, the Navy and the Air Force gave a 21-gun salute to Mangeshkar whose body was wrapped in the Tricolour. Full state honours were accorded to her, as several dignitaries, family members and guests laid wreaths on her body, with the bugle playing in the background. Her younger brother, Hridaynath and his son Aadinath, and her sister Asha Bhosle conducted the last rites at 7.16 pm. A makeshift funeral pyre made out of concrete slabs on a raised platform was built for the funeral.

Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, his wife Rashmi Thackeray, NCP chief Sharad Pawar, Union minister Piyush Goyal, Chhagan Bhujbal, Sachin Tendulkar, his wife Anjali Tendulkar, actor Shah Rukh Khan were among the dignitaries who attended the funeral

Before Mangeshkar's body was kept aboard the truck, which was decorated with flowers and had a huge photograph of the singer, the police and military personnel gave a ceremonial salute and a band played the national anthem.

Several Bollywood celebrities had arrived at her residence, including Amitabh Bachchan, Sharukh Khan, Anupam Kher, Shraddha Kapoor, Aamir Khan, Ranbir Kapoor, Bhagyashree, Bhushan Kumar, Javed Akhtar, Anuradha Paudwal, Govinda, Javed Akhtar, directors Madhur Bhandarkar, Ashutosh Gowariker and Sanjay Leela Bhansali, and music composer Shankar Mahadevan.

Among the politicians who paid their last respect to the ‘Nightingale of India, were CM's wife Rashmi Thackeray and son Aaditya Thackeray, NCP leader Sharad Pawar, his daughter Supriya Sule and nephew Ajit Pawar, Dilip Waise Patil, Vinod Tawde, Union ministers Nitin Gadkari and Piyush Goyal, Goa CM Pramod Sawant and MNS leader Raj Thackeray.

About half-a-dozen priests performed a religious ceremony as per Hindu rituals. The smiling and soft-spoken angel has departed and her memories remain etched in our minds, through her inspiring songs.

2,300
No. of security personnel at the funeral