Lata Mangeshkar death: 'Nightingale of India' laid to rest with funeral procession

Legendary Indian playback singer Lata Mangeshkar was cremated with state honours at Shivaji Park in Mumbai on Sunday evening, after she died aged 92 on Sunday morning. She had been treated for nearly a month at the intensive care unit at Breach Candy Hospital after having Covid-19 diagnosed. Her sister Usha confirmed her death to the Press Trust of India.

Politicians and dignitaries, including India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi, attended the last rites, alongside world-renowned Indian celebrities such as actor Shah Rukh Khan and Bollywood star Amitabh Bachchan. {read_more_news Aamir Khan, Ranbir Kapoor, Vidya Balan and Shraddha Kapoor were also among those who attended the funeral procession or visited Mangeshkar's home earlier on Sunday. Family members, including Mangeshkar's sister, Asha Bhosle, whose rivalry with her sister had been much talked about, also paid tribute.

Defence personnel carried Mangeshkar's remains as part of the funeral procession.

Who was Lata Mangeshkar?
Born in 1929 in Indore to musician Deenanath Mangeshkar and his wife, Shevanti, Mangeshkar and her four siblings – who would all become accomplished singers – were introduced to Indian classical music and theatre early in life.

As the eldest, Mangeshkar began performing in her father's musical plays at the age of 5, dropping out of school to focus on her craft. Mangeshkar recorded thousands of tracks in her career, spanning more than 36 Indian and foreign languages, although she primarily sang in Hindi.

She's won countless accolades throughout her career, including Filmfare Best Female Playback Awards, the Bharat Ratna, India's highest civilian honour, plus the Dadasaheb Phalke Award, India's highest accolade in the field of cinema.

In 2007, the French government also made her an Officer of the National Order of the Legion of Honour, its highest order of merit. The Lata Mangeshkar Award, a pan-Indian accolade for achievements in music, was instituted in her honour by her home state of Madhya Pradesh in 1989.

After her death, the Indian government announced two days of national mourning, with the national flag to fly at half-mast as a mark of respect.