Everyone bid farewell to Lata Mangeshkar with teary eyes on Sunday. The legendary singer who ruled millions of hearts was laid to rest with full state honours in the presence of her family members, PM Narendra Modi, relatives, fans and celebs.
The last rites took place at Shivaji Park at around 7 pm and at around 7.20 Hridaynath Mangeshkar lit the funeral pyre. Her mortal remains were bought to the crematorium at 4 pm and kept for ‘darshan’ for a couple of hours with hordes of Bollywood personalities, top politicians across party lines, and other celebs trooping for a last glimpse and to offer solace to her siblings and other family members.
India’s Melody Queen, who also composed music for Marathi films and was a producer as well, and had the distinction of being conferred with the highest civilian honours of India and France, passed away on Sunday morning at the Breach Candy Hospital in Mumbai, where she had been admitted because of Covid-related complications on January 11.
The police and the Army gave a ceremonial salute and a band played the national anthem before her mortal remains of Mangeshkar were kept in the truck decked with flowers and a huge photograph of the singer. Here are the pictures from the funeral:
The truck, escorted by a military police jeep, moved through the Haji Ali junction, Worli Naka, Poddar Hospital Chowk, Old Passport Office, Siddhivinayak temple, Cadel Road and later reach the Shivaji Park in Dadar, where the singer’s funeral was held with full state honours.
As the procession continued, many hundreds joined en route, many raising cries of “Lata Didi, Amar Rahe”, “Lata Didi Zindabad”, carrying her photos or playing her immortal numbers, and thousands more stood in the balconies of their homes in small or tall buildings, raising their hands in an adieu.
The site where the 92-year-old singer’s funeral was performed with full state honours was about 100-metre away from Shiv Sena founder Balasaheb Thackeray’s memorial, on the west side of the Shivaji Park, located in the Dadar area.
Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) Commissioner Iqbal Singh Chahal told PTI that they have erected two stages inside the barricaded area of the park. On one platform, the singer’s mortal remains would be kept for public ‘darshan’ (viewing), and her various photographs will be displayed another stage, he said. Another platform was being erected near it with cement blocks for the last rites.
A two-day state mourning will be observed in the wake of the demise of the legendary singer on February 6 and 7. The national flag will fly at half-mast on Sunday and Monday throughout India and a state funeral will be accorded to her.
