Two months before her death, legendary singer Lata Mangeshkar has asked the priest of Mangeshi temple, which houses the ancestral deity of the family, to perform a puja for her and her brother Hridaynath’s health.
Mahesh Karande, the priest of the temple in Goa, who is closely associated with the extended family of Mangeshkars, said the singer’s secretary called him up and handed over the phone to the singer.
“She spoke to me a few months ago. She wasn’t well and her younger brother was not in good health too. I spoke to her through her secretary. I prayed for her. She was very worried about Hridyanath’s health as well,” said Karande.
Despite not having met her, sadness and gloom descended over the village as the news of her death flashed on TV screens.
Mangeshi village falls in Panaji assembly constituency, which is known for Mangeshi (Lord Shiva) temple.
Mangeshkars, the nine-member family, didn’t know about their link to the famous Mangeshkar sisters for long.
“My grandmother and Lata’s grandmother were sisters. They didn’t know about us. We felt that we should have reached out to them. We are happy today that we have been recognized as an extended family, but sad because of her demise,” said Prasanna Mangeshkar.
Ask Prasanna about one of Mangeshkar’s favourite songs and he says, “Ae Mere Watan ke logo. It’s my favourite.”
He is interjected by the priest as he croons another of Mangeshkar’s unforgettable songs, ‘Meri Awaz hi pehchaan hai gar yaad rahe’.
Speaking about the extended family, Karande said that they too work at the temples doing simple chores just like Mangeshkar’s grandfather did.
“The extended family does chores at the temple. Earlier, Lata Mangeshkar’s grandfather and father used to do that too, besides doing sadhna. Then Lata Mangeshkar’s father got an opportunity to perform outside the village. Lata Mangeshkar was born in Indore.”
