Legendary singer Lata Mangeshkar laid to rest with full state honours

Singing legend, Lata Mangeshkar, who died on Sunday following prolonged illness and weeks of hospitalisation, was cremated with full state honours at Mumbai's Shivaji Park on Sunday evening. She was 92.

Her death brought to an end a splendid and decorated career spanning seven decades.

Just before the last rites, the national flag in which the body was draped, was handed over to the family members. Lata Mangeshkar's brother Hridaynath Mangeshkar lit the funeral pyre of the legendary singer.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the cremation ground to pay his last respects to the singer and met the Mangeshkar family members and consoled them. He left the venue before the funeral.

Earlier in the day, the Prime Minister tweeted saying he is "anguished beyond words".

"The kind and caring Lata Didi has left us. She leaves a void in our nation that cannot be filled. The coming generations will remember her as a stalwart of Indian culture, whose melodious voice had an unparalleled ability to mesmerise people," he tweeted.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said she remained the "most beloved voice of India for many decades" and added that her immortal golden voice will continue to echo in the hearts of her fans.

Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari, Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, NCP chief Sharad Pawar, superstar Shah Rukh Khan, Aamir Khan, Ranbir Kapoor, lyricist Javed Akhtar, cricketer Sachin Tendulkar, were among the others who came to pay their last respects.

A public holiday is announced in the state of Maharashtra on Monday to mourn the death of the singer.

An icon of Indian cinema, Lata Mangeshkar is a recipient of the Bharat Ratna, Padma Vibhushan, Padma Bhushan and Dadasaheb Phalke Awards. She has done playback singing for an extensive list of Hindi films.

One of the famous episodes of her life is when her music moved Jawaharlal Nehru to tears. On January 27, 1963 during the backdrop of the India-China war, Lata Mangeshkar sang Aye Mere Watan Ke Logon in the presence of the then Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, bringing him to tears.

Subcontinent leaders, including Pakistan's Imran Khan, also sent their tributes to the legendary singer.