Asha Bhosle Laid to Rest with Full State Honours in Mumbai
A sea of people gathered on the streets of Mumbai to bid a final farewell as Bhosle’s mortal remains, draped in the Tricolour, were carried from her residence to the Shivaji Park Crematorium in a flower-decorated chariot.
Mumbai: India bid adieu to one of its most celebrated singers, as the final rites of Asha Bhosle were performed with full state honours in Mumbai on Monday. Political leaders, family members and thousands of fans gathered in large numbers to bid her a final farewell. Flags at Maharashtra government offices flew at half-mast.
The cremation took place at the Shivaji Park crematorium, where her son, Anand Bhosle, lit the pyre and performed the final rites in a solemn atmosphere. Siblings Usha Mangeshkar and Hridaynath Mangeshkar were present during the last rites.
A sea of people gathered on the streets of Mumbai to bid a final farewell as Bhosle’s mortal remains, draped in the Tricolour, were carried from her residence to the Shivaji Park Crematorium in a flower-decorated chariot. Her body was placed in a glass casket draped in the Indian tricolour. Adorned with white and yellow flowers, the hearse also featured a large photograph of the singer wearing a traditional Maharashtrian ‘nath.’ A ceremonial police salute was also held.
Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis, State Deputy Chief Ministers Eknath Shinde and Sunetra Pawar, MNS chief Raj Thackeray paid their last respects to the singer.
The city witnessed an emotional outpouring as fans, admirers and members of the music and film fraternity came together to honour one of India’s greatest voices. Though Bhosle’s family had requested fans to refrain from large gatherings at the cremation site, the queue at Shivaji Park stretched for several hundred metres. Many held placards and photographs paying tribute to the singer.
Earlier in the day, Bhosle’s mortal remains were kept at her residence in Lower Parel in the morning. Fans and well-wishers were allowed to pay their last respects during a public viewing at her residence.
Members of the music fraternity, artists and politicians visited to pay their respects. Veteran actor Asha Parekh, composer A. R. Rahman and cricket icon Sachin Tendulkar were among them who paid their last respects to the legendary singer at her residence, Casa Grande, in Lower Parel. Other noted personalities, including Mumbai Mayor Ritu Tawade, Sudesh Bhosale, Tabu and NCP leader Supriya Sule, were also seen offering their condolences to the bereaved family.
Actors Jackie Shroff, Riteish Deshmukh, Renuka Shahane, Ranveer Singh, Aamir Khan, Vicky Kaushal, Padmini Kolhapure and Rakesh Roshan also paid their tributes. Veteran stars Helen, Poonam Dhillon, and Meenakshi Sheshadri were also in attendance.
The Maharashtra cabinet paid homage to the iconic artiste at its weekly meeting. Addressing the cabinet, CM Fadnavis said that Asha Bhosle had herself proposed the idea of setting up a dedicated music institution. He added that the government would take concrete steps to realise her vision.
The veteran singer passed away on Sunday at the age of 92 at Breach Candy Hospital, bringing to a close an extraordinary career that spanned more than eight decades. She had been battling multiple health issues and passed away due to multi-organ failure on Sunday.