Two-day national mourning, state funeral for Lata Mangeshkar

Lata Mangeshkar. File pic

Two-day national mourning will be observed in the memory of Lata Mangeshkar, government sources informed on Sunday. The National Flag will fly at half-mast for two days as a mark of respect, and she will be given a State funeral, they added.

Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on Sunday said that Lata Mangeshkar, will be accorded a state funeral.

The last rites will be held in the evening.

Thackeray in a statement said Lata Mangeshkar's death was an end of a glorious era.

Her melodious voice was immortal, he said, adding that everyone was in grief after hearing about her demise.

"She will continue to live amongst us," the CM said in a statement.

The funeral will be held will state honours, he added.

"It is sad that Lata Mangeshkar has left us physically. She was a symbol of motherly blessing. Her voice has brought alive all situations in everyone's lives. Her voice broke the barriers of language, region, caste, creed and religion," Thackeray said.

The CM also said that Lata Mangeshkar shared warm relations with his family.

"She was an avid photographer and had the knowledge about good cameras and different lenses. We often discussed photography and she was present at my photo exhibitions to bless me. Recently when I was hospitalised, she enquired about my health," the chief minister said.

Legendary singer Lata Mangeshkar passed away on Sunday at the age of 92 years. The iconic singer had been admitted to Mumbai's Breach Candy hospital on January 8 after she was diagnosed with COVID-19 and pneumonia.

Though having recovered from Covid-19, the singer was put on ventilator support after her condition worsened on Saturday.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed condolences over her demise and said the legendary singer leaves a void in our nation that cannot be filled. In a series of tweets, PM Modi said the singer had always wanted to see a strong and developed India. "I am anguished beyond words. The kind and caring Lata Didi has left us. She leaves a void in our nation that cannot be filled. The coming generations will remember her as a stalwart of Indian culture, whose melodious voice had an unparalleled ability to mesmerise people," PM Modi tweeted. "Lata Didi's songs brought out a variety of emotions. She closely witnessed the transitions of the Indian film world for decades. Beyond films, she was always passionate about India's growth. She always wanted to see a strong and developed India," he said in another tweet.