New Delhi: Singing icon Lata Mangeshkar's last rites were performed on Sunday with full state honours at Shivaji Park in Mumbai. Prime Minister Narendra Modi reached Mumbai to pay his last respects to the legend.
Along with PM Modi, Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray, Deputy CM Ajit Pawar, state minister Aaditya Thackeray, NCP chief Sharad Pawar, actors Shah Rukh Khan and Aamir Khan, lyricist Javed Akhtar, cricketer Sachin Tendulkar and MNS chief Raj Thackeray were among those who paid tributes to the departed soul at Shivaji Park.
Union Ministers from Maharashtra were also present in the funeral ceremony which was held in open ground for the scores of admirers to pay tributes. Lata's brother Hridaynath Mangeshkar lit the funeral pyre.
On Sunday morning, the singing legend passed away at the age of 92 due to a multi-organ failure at the Breach Candy Hospital in Mumbai.
Lata Mangeshkar's Mortal Remains Draped In Tricolour
The singing legend's mortal remains, draped in the national flag, were taken in a truck from her residence in south Mumbai to Shivaji Park in Dadar on Sunday evening for the funeral.
A large number of people also thronged the roads from where the cortege passed as the 92-year-old melody queen embarked on her final journey.
Her mortal remains were kept at her home for people to pay respect.
Megastar Amitabh Bachchan, noted actor Anupam Kher, lyricist Javed Akhtar and filmmaker Sanjay Leela Bhansali were among those who paid tributes to Lata Mangeshkar at her residence on Pedder Road in south Mumbai, located about 8 km from the Shivaji Park, before her mortal remains were taken for the last rites.
Famously called Lata Didi, the legendary singer was hospitalised for more than 28 days. She was on life support in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) and took her last at 8:12 AM this morning, news agency PTI reported citing the hospital authorities.
Lata Mangeshkar was hospitalised after she developed symptoms of COVID-19 and pneumonia on the intervening night of January 8 and 9.
N Santhanam, chief executive officer of Breach Candy Hospital said, "She came and got admitted as a COVID patient. COVID was treated, but due to post-COVID complications, she passed away."
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Two-Day National Mourning Announced, Maharashtra Govt Declares Public Holiday
Earlier, the Union Government announced that two-day national mourning is to be observed in memory of Lata Mangeshkar. During the state mourning, the National Flag is flown at half-mast throughout India, and there are no official entertainment programmes.
The Maharashtra government announced a public holiday as well as one-day mourning on Monday as a mark of respect to the melody queen. A statement from the chief minister's office (CMO) informed about the one-day mourning and the public holiday, PTI reported.
The West Bengal Government has also announced a half-day holiday tomorrow in honour of the legendary singer.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has announced to play songs of the Bharat Ratna awardee at every public spot, government installation, and traffic signals for the next 15 days, ANI reported.
Lata Mangeshkar was proudly known as the 'Nightingale of India' and the 'Queen of Melody'. She has more than 30,000 songs credited to her name in a career spanning the last seven decades. She has songs in around 36 languages. Her demise is being mourned by the whole country.
(With Inputs From Agencies)