India Loses her Voice: MAA Saraswati leaves for her Abode !

The Voice of India, the Melody Queen, Bharat Ratna Lata Mangeshkar  left us  for her onward journey to Devlok (her Heavenly abode) on Sunday morning at 8.12 a.m. She was given farewell at Shivaji Park, in Dadar Mumbai with full State honors in the presence  dignitaries from political, film and social world. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, state Governor KC Koshiyari, NCP leader Sharad Pawar, Amitabh Bachchan, CM Uddhav Thakre, Subhash Ghai, Raj Thakre and thousands of her fans lined up across Mumbai roads  to pay tributes to their icon.

India lost its legendary voice, ‘incarnation of  Maa Saraswati’, who gave her voice to Indian film and music world for almost 80 years from 1940s onwards. Lata Didi, who started singing and acting as child artist at the tender age 5-6, had to struggle to make her place in competition with famous lady singers of the times, Noor Jahan and Surraya, who were ruling the folk and emerging film industry and left India to make Pakistan their home after India’s partition.  Lata, eldest of the four sisters and a brother, struggled and established herself as the only ‘Nightingale of India’, who could sing for all seasons and all moods, viz., Devotional Bhajans ,  Classical, Folk, Social, Romantic, Gazals,  pensive, or any genre for all occasions and situations.  She sang in more than 1000 films and in over 30 languages of India including English.

Lata Mangeshkar, the eldest daughter of  Master Deenanath Mangeshkar, himself a Marathi singer and stage artist, taught his daughter some acting, singing lessons and left the burden of four siblings on her shoulders, she was just 12 years old then. Lata performed the task perfectly. She didn’t get married, due to family responsibility, despite having some ops in the  film industry and social circle. (She is believed to have cordial relations with a cricketer of repute from a Princely state of Rajasthan).

Lata nurtured the family tradition of music and all her siblings have a place of pride in the industry, namely; Asha Mangeshkar (Bhonsle), Usha Mangeshkar, Meena and Hridaynath Mangeshkar (brother).  The Queen of Melody was awarded country’s top film and music honour Dada Saheb Phalke award in 1989  and Bharat Ratna in 2001 for her contribution to India’s music and cultural world. She gave thousands of memorable songs to her fans across Asia and world, like Ae mere Watan ke logo, Zara Aankh me Bhgar lo Paani…. and Rahen Naa Rahen Hum, Mehka Karenge…….!

Lata Mangeshkar, the ‘Nightingale of India’, was one of the most versatile singers of the Indian film industry. In her career spanning over eight decades, she had lent her voice to over 10,000 songs, which include solo, duets and group songs for Films, Classical, Ghazals, Bhajans, Folk and Pop. Born in 1929 in Indore,  Lata worked with legendary music directors including legends like Pandit Ravishankar, Madan Mohan, RD Burman, Shankar-Jaikishan, Laxmikant-Pyarelal to AR Rahman and many more.  For over 70 years she was the singing voice for leading ladies of Bollywood from Noor Jahan, Devika Rani, Meena Kumari, Madhubala, Vaijayanti Mala, Vaheeda Rehman, Mala Sinha, Shabana to Priyanka Chopra.

After the untimely death of her father in 1942, Lata worked tirelessly day and night, and never looked back. Lata Mangeshkar, who moved to Mumbai in 1949, has had an unprecedented impact on Indian film music and received several awards and accolades during her eight-decade-long career. Winner of  Dadasaheb Phalke Award and the Bharat Ratna, India’s highest civilian honor in 2001. The French government conferred her its highest civilian award — Officer of the Legion of Honour in 2007. She has also been honored with National Film Awards, Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award and Bengal Film Journalists’ Association Awards. She also holds the distinction of being the most recorded artist in the history of Indian music.  She performed in various music shows in various locations world over, but she could not be called a commercial music artist dishing out music discs like western musicians have been.

It is unimaginable if any film or music artist would be able to attain such respect and a prideful place in the hearts of music lovers across the world in future.

                                                                                              NewsOnRadar.com bows to the incarnation of Maa Saraswati, Lata Mangeshkar !!!