'End of an Era': India Bleeds at the Loss of 'Queen of Melody' Lata Mangeshkar, Fans in Tears

A sense of personal loss and waves of sadness have hit millions of people across the globe as they stand in solidarity, mourning the demise of India's "Nightingale" or "Queen of Melody" Lata Mangeshkar who passed away on Sunday morning.

The 92-year-old singer had been battling COVID-19 and pneumonia for over 28 days in Mumbai's Breach Candy Hospital and suffered multi-organ failure and passed away at 8:12 a.m. (IST).

Born in 1929 into a family of artists, Lata was mentored by her father, the late Pandit Deenanath Mangeshkar, a classical singer and theatre actor. He changed her name from Hema to Lata after being inspired by "Latika", a popular character from his play "Bhaaw Bandhan".

Mangeshkar, who had been singing since the age of 13, carved out a niche for herself in the industry and won millions of hearts worldwide with her soulful renditions. She lent her voice to five generations of Bollywood actresses, including Madhubala, Nutan, Vyjayanthimala, Madhuri Dixit Nene, Kajol, Preity Zinta, and many others.

Having recorded over 30,000 songs in 35 Indian and foreign languages, Lata Mangeshkar was honoured with the Bharat Ratna and Dadasaheb Phalke Award, the highest honour in Indian cinema, for her contribution to the nation and Indian music industry.

Some of her popular songs include "Tere Liye" from the movie "Veer Zaara", "Lukka Chuppi" from "Rang de Basanti", "Jiya Jale" from "Dil Se", and "Lag Jaa Gale" from "Woh Kaun Thi?"

Her career-defining song is a patriotic tune called "Aae Mere Watan Ke Logon", which left first Indian Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru in tears.

She was the first Indian singer to have performed at the Royal Albert Hall in London in 1974.

Devastated and shocked by the demise of Lata Mangeshkar, several Bollywood celebrities, politicians, and her fans have been flooding social media with condolences.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted that Lata Mangeshkar closely witnessed the transition of the nation's film world for decades, and she was always passionate about India's growth.

Heartbroken by the passing away of Lata Mageshkar, Indian President Ram Nath Kovind tweeted that her vast range of songs demonstrated the essence and beauty of India and gave voice to millions of people's emotions.

Several Bollywood stars, including Akshay Kumar, Anushka Sharma, Anupam Kher, filmmakers Karan Johar, Vikram Bhatt, Farah Khan, and others offered their condolences and shared that she will remain immortal in her soulful music.

Calling it the end of an era, and the loss of the most precious gem in the Indian music industry, netizens are paying tribute to the legend as they tweet about their favourite songs by the singer.

The last rites for the music legend will be held with full state honours around 6:30 p.m. on Sunday.