Lata Mangeshkar passes away at 92; Mortal remains at Shivaji park for public darshan

Mumbai, Feb 06: Singing legend Lata Mangeshkar, who was known as the 'Queen of Melody' and the 'Nightingale of India,' passed away in Mumbai on Sunday morning due to multiple organ failure, her sister Usha Mangeshkar and doctors treating her said. The singer breathed her last at 8:12 am. Her mortal remains reached Mumbai's Shivaji Park before the last rites.

The last rites will be held shortly.

The veteran singer was put on ventilator after her health deteriorated and is undergoing "aggressive therapy", a doctor treating her said on Saturday.

The 92-year-old singer tested positive for Covid with mild symptoms and was admitted on January 8 to Breach Candy Hospital's intensive care unit (ICU) where she is being treated by Dr Pratit Samdani and his team of doctors.

As news of her ill-health spread, a stream of visitors - and some anxious fans - reached Breach Candy. Among them was Mangeshkar's sister Asha Bhosle who visited the hospital to check on the veteran playback singer.

"I'm hopeful she'll be fine, even I'm praying. Doctors have informed she is stable, there is improvement," Asha Bhosle told reporters while leaving the hospital.

Barricades were put up outside the premises, security was tightened and media crews gathered for news of the woman known as India's Melody Queen.

Others who visited the hospital included Union minister Piyush Goyal, Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray, filmmaker Madhur Bhandarkar and NCP leader Supriya Sule.

"The entire nation is praying that she recovers soon, that we are able to take her back home from the hospital. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has also sent his wishes for Lata Didi's good health to the family.

I've conveyed it to the family," Goyal told the battery of camera crews. He added that doctors would give a bulletin about Mangeshkar's health and it would not be right for him to say anything.

On January 29, Samdani had said Mangeshkar was showing signs of marginal improvement and was taken off the ventilator but continued to be under observation in the ICU. Anxiety over Mangeshkar's health reflected on social media platforms as well.

Many took to social media to pray for the singing legend's recovery.

In November 2019, Mangeshkar had been admitted to the same hospital after she complained of difficulty in breathing and was diagnosed with pneumonia. She was discharged after 28 days.

Regarded as one of Indian cinema's greatest playback singers, Mangeshkar started her career at the age of 13 in 1942 and has sung over 25,000 songs in various Indian languages. In her over seven-decade career, she has sung a host of memorable tracks, including "Ajeeb dastan hai ye", "Pyar kiya to darna kya" and "Neela asman so gaya".

The singer -- known as Melody Queen of India -- has been given the Bharat Ratna, India's highest civilian honour, as well as the Padma Bhushan, the Padma Vibhushan and the Dada Saheb Phalke Award.