Legendary singer Lata Mangeshkar passed away at the age of 92 today. She was admit to Mumbai’s Breach Candy Hospital on 8th January 2022 after tested positive for Covid-19. She was under treatment in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) over the past couple of weeks.
After showing signs of improvement recently, her health condition deteriorate.
She passed away today, leaving the entire nation in a state of grief.
मां सरस्वती का स्वरूप, स्वर कोकिला लता जी जमाने आए और चले गए लेकिन आप एक सदी के जैसे हमारे दिलों पर राज़ करती रहीं और करती रहेंगी.. आपसे बहुत कुछ सीखा और हमेशा सीखते रहेंगे..
— 2YoDoINDIA Pvt. Ltd. (@2yodoindia) February 6, 2022
आपको सादर नमन है..🙏
For News visit https://t.co/98KV4yIZka#2YoDoINDIA #LataJi #RIP #VoiceOfIndia pic.twitter.com/3LLd6llCir
For a couple of days, Lata Mangeshkar was showing continue signs of improvement and her team also came forward asking everyone to pray for her.
After fighting it out for weeks in the hospital, Lata Mangeshkar died today.
Unknown Facts About Lata Mangeshkar Ji
Lata Mangeshkar Ji also feature in Guinness World Records in 1974
Lata Mangeshkar’s name had first figure in the Guinness World Records in 1974 for having sung the maximum number of songs in the world.
She was credited with singing about 25,000 songs.
Lata Mangeshkar Ji is lauded as a legend all over the world
She became the first Indian in 1974 to have perform in the Royal Albert Hall, London.
Lata Mangeshkar Ji was also interested in music composition
Lata Mangeshkar compose music for the first time in 1955 for a Marathi movie called Ram Ram Pavhane.
In 1960s she compose music for many Marathi films under the pseudonym of Anand Ghan.
Lata Mangeshkar Ji recorded her first song in 1942
She recorded her first song in the year 1942 for the Marathi film Kiti Hasaal but it never got release.
Lata Mangeshkar Ji first public performance was at the age of 9
In the year 1938, she sang publicly for first time at the age of nine at the Nutan Theatre, Sholapur. She sang two Marathi songs and Raag Khambawati.
Lata Mangeshkar Ji began singing at the age of 5
She starts singing at the age of five and studied the fine art of music with Aman Ali Khan Sahib and Amanat Khan, establish and famous singers of that time.
Lata Mangeshkar Ji was first named Hema
It’s a lesser-known fact that Lata Mangeshkar was first name as Hema but later it was change and name after a character’s name Latika from her father’s play titled ‘BhaawBandhan‘
Lata Mangeshkar Ji had contracted COVID in January
She had been admitted to the hospital first in January and then again on 5th February 2022 when her health began deteriorating again.
Lata Mangeshkar Ji dies at 92
India’s Nightingale Lata Mangeshkar died at 92 on 6th February 2022.
Her death was attributed to multiple organ failure after COVID as per Breach Candy hospital officials. Several political leaders, Bollywood celebrities rushed to pay their last respects.
A Legend Lata Mangeshkar Ji
Lata Mangeshkar was a force to reckon with in playback singing.
In her many-decade-long career, she gave us musical gems such as Aye Mere Watan Ke Logo, Lag Jaa Gale, Yeh Kahan Aage Hain Hum and Pyar Kiya To Darna Kya, among many others.
For her exceptional talent, she was honour with countless awards, including the Bharat Ratna, Padma Vibhushan, Padma Bhushan and Dadasaheb Phalke Award.
President Ram Nath Kovind, PM Modi pay Tribute to Lata Mangeshkar Ji
President Ram Nath Kovind and Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 6th February 2022 express grief and paid tributes to legendary singer Lata Mangeshkar, who died due to multiple organ failure this morning.
Sharing a picture with the late singer, President Kovind wrote :
Lata-ji’s demise is heart-breaking for me, as it is for millions the world over. In her vast range of songs, rendering the essence and beauty of India, generations found expression of their inner-most emotions. A Bharat Ratna, Lata-ji’s accomplishments will remain incomparable. pic.twitter.com/rUNQq1RnAp
— President of India (@rashtrapatibhvn) February 6, 2022
PM Modi with a photo from the inauguration of Lata Mangeshkar Super Speciality Hospital, Said :
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. pic.twitter.com/N0chZbBcX6
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) February 6, 2022
I don’t want to be born again : Lata Mangeshkar
Nothing in this world can happen without God’s mercy, that’s my firm belief. I was raise in a very religious family and follow the precepts of Hinduism.
Though I love my religion and might think it to be the best, I respect all religions as much.
I frequently visit and derive tremendous peace from all places of worship, be it a temple, church, durgah or gurdwara.
I have to pray every night before sleeping and I have my own puja room at home.
Besides reciting formal prayers, I keep having informal conversations with God, it’s more of telling than asking.
If somebody has hurt me, been rude to me or wronged me, I confide in God as I would to a friend or my mother.
But I never wish that any harm should befall that person because I believe very strongly in karma.
If somebody wrongs me, I take it in my stride thinking I must have wronged that person in my past life, I had once lent a large sum of money to a man which he didn’t return.
Though my family was annoyed with the losses I had to incur, I view it as a debt I had to repay this person in my previous life which was carried forward to this life.
I’ve read the Gita and certain preachings I strongly believe in one being to do one’s duty without caring for the fruits.
I remember when I enter the film industry in 1947, my father had just expire.
At that point, my only wish was to earn money for my family.
The name, fame and adulation which follow by 1948 was God’s wish.
I had neither expect nor ask for fame.
To date, I pray to God before each recording.
I constantly thank God saying, ‘I’m not so big, you made me big.’
These thoughts are always on my mind.
If he so wishes, everything can finish in a second.
Man tends to forget God in his happy times.
But one should gracefully accept sorrow as willingly as one accepts happiness, that’s what life is about.
I certainly feel God’s presence a number of times, while singing, while recording, when I’m alone, when I hear a good song or one of my father’s songs.
And I believe that miracles do happen.
In all honesty, I have experience certain things which probably nobody would believe, they’re what we call miracles.
We all come into this world with a purpose.
It’s our duty to complete the task assigned to us.
I suppose God wanted my services for singing.
But I’m sure had I not given it my hundred percent, he would have taken this gift away from me.
I would attribute my success totally to God and my parent’s blessings.
I only work hard in what they gave me.
I’m very content in life.
Anyone who truly believes in God is bound to be.
People ask me why I never married?
To that I say that, God gave me a job to do and I’m very satisfied with my work.
Yes, like everyone else, I do have my moments of sorrow.
But my sorrow is very temporary.
What I cannot bear is to see other people suffering.
I feel a sense of joy by helping such people.
One cannot escape one’s destiny, but by thinking good thoughts, helping others and doing good deeds, I feel, we can lessen a sorrowful fate upto a point.
Ram, we believe, is Vishnu’s avatar.
Despite being a king’s son he had to endure an exile for fourteen years.
That was his destiny.
But because he did good deeds during this period, killing Ravan being one of them, he saw good times again and succeeded in creating ‘Ramrajya’.
What we are experiencing today is ‘Kalyug’.
Though I might not be alive, I firmly believe that God will descend upon this earth once again to set things right.
If I were to meet God, I would ask him to put an end to the injustice in this world.
I wish he would tum this world into a beautiful garden where mankind lives in peace.
And though I do believe in rebirth, the only thing I would ask of God for myself is that I should not be born again.
As told to Kanaka Singh, originally publish in Bombay Times on 11th May, 2000
