'Lata Didi amar rahe': Fans gather outside her residence to bid adieu to singing legend

Mumbai: Chanting slogans, singing songs and waiting for hours just to get a final glimpse of their icon -- that's how Lata Mangeshkar's fans bid a tearful adieu to the singing legend as her final journey began from her residence in south Mumbai to Shivaji Park for the last rites.

Hundreds of fans, young and old, flocked Mangeshkar's residence Prabhu Kunj to pay their last respects to the music icon who died due to multi-organ failure following COVID diagnosis.

Traffic and city police were deployed in large numbers to ensure the busy Pedder Road near her residence doesn't turn chock-a-block, as fans gathered on both sides of the road on a humid Mumbai afternoon.

The lane opposite her residence reverberated with admirers' chants, "Jab tak suraj chand rahega, Lata didi ka naam rahega" and "Lata Didi amar rahe".

"I got a bad feeling when I woke up today morning and immediately started praying for her recovery. I'm just shattered that Didi, who has shaped my life and that if crores of others, is not anymore," 60-year-old Savita Shah told PTI.

Shah arrived outside Mangeshkar's residence early morning, with a bouquet of Chrysanthemums and a wish. "I just want to touch her feet. If that's not possible, I'll lay these flowers at the entrance of her building. This is the closest I'll get to her in this lifetime," she added.

Shah wasn't alone, as several fans of Mangeshkar from various parts of the city stood for hours on the street, some even fighting with the policemen because they were denied entry to go closer to the apartment.

A special barricade was put up by the cops for the battery of media persons present, but fans managed to leak through those as well, entering the media zone for a "better view".

Some made their way smartly onto trees, climbing their way up to get a vantage point view, while some took the help of BMC installing large garbage bins to hop on the wall opposite her residence.

Every balcony or window of the neighbouring buildings had curious admirers peeping out.

Mumbai police force had to routinely disperse the restless, emotional crowd. Kalyani Ghosh, a college student, also stood with strangers behind police barricades.

She wasn't an "ardent fan" but was there on behalf of someone who requested her to witness the "last glimpse of history".

"My grandmother called me, crying. Lata Mangeshkar's songs have been through her thick and thin. They're like medicines to her. When the news was out, she broke down and requested if I could be present, so that she would feel she saw Lata Didi one last time. I'll be video calling her and showing her the visuals," Ghosh said.

Military officials stood outside Mangeshkar's residence to escort the body from her residence to the Shivaji Park crematorium for the state funeral. The coffin was draped with the national flag and placed on the truck with a band march.

Mangeshkar siblings Meena, Asha, Usha and Hridaynath boarded the open truck along with other relatives. As the vehicle moved, people chanted "Lata didi amar rahe" and showered it with petals.