India loses her nightingale; singer Lata Mangeshkar dies at 92
Legendary singer Lata Mangeshkar passed away on Sunday, leaving a pall of gloom behind. She was 92. In January, she was admitted to the ICU of Breach Candy Hospital, Mumbai, after testing positive for COVID-19. But unlike her 2019 hospitalization, she could not defeat her ailments this time and breathed her last at the hospital on Sunday morning. Rest in peace.
In the memory of Mangeshkar—fondly known as "Lata didi"—a two-day national mourning will be observed, ANI reported citing government sources. Further, the National Flag will fly at half-mast for two days as a sign of respect.
At the time of her hospitalization on January 8, the Bharat Ratna awardee had mild symptoms. Doctors were closely monitoring her situation, given her age and other health concerns. While initially, her health was reported to be marginally improving, she was put on a ventilator later as her condition deteriorated. She passed away at 8:12 am on Sunday.
In 2019, Mangeshkar was admitted to Breach Candy Hospital due to pneumonia. Her sister Usha Mangeshkar had said she had a viral infection. She was discharged after 28 days then. "Today, I am back home with the blessings of Mai and Baba...I have my deepest gratitude to all my well-wishers all over. Your prayers and good wishes have worked," she had said after recovering.
The legendary singer had been inactive as a professional for a while. Saugandh Mujhe Is Mitti Ki, a 2019 song composed by Mayuresh Pai, is probably her last recorded song to date. The number was dedicated to the Indian Army and its soldiers. Meanwhile, Dunno Y 2... Life Is a Moment (2015) was the last film Mangeshkar had sung for.
On Saturday, several relatives and well-wishers visited Mangeshkar in the hospital. These included her siblings—Asha Bhosle and Hridaynath Mangeshkar—along with actor Shraddha Kapoor and her mother. Notably, the Kapoors are distant kin of Mangeshkar. Apart from family members, Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray's wife Rashmi, MNS President Raj Thackeray, Union Minister Piyush Goyal, and filmmaker Madhur Bhandarkar, among others, had paid a visit.
