Maharashtra state minister Ashish Shelar said on Sunday, April 12, that legendary singer Asha Bhosle will be cremated with full state honors after she died at the age of 92. Asha Bhosle died on Sunday after cardiac arrest and multi-organ failure.
Talking to reporters, Ashish Shelar said that the entire country and Maharashtra are mourning the end of an era, adding that Bhosle’s contribution to music brought joy not only to India but also to audiences worldwide.
“Today the whole country and Maharashtra is mourning the end of an era. Her work and music was a source of joy not only to India but to the whole world,” he said.
The Maharashtra minister also detailed the arrangements for her last rites. He said people wishing to pay their respects to the legendary singer would be allowed into her residence before the funeral.
“Her relatives will be able to pay their last respects at her home in Lower Parel tomorrow from 11 am to 3 pm. Her last rites will be performed at the Shivaji Park crematorium at 4 pm. She will be cremated with full state honours,” added Ashish Shelar.
The announcement comes amid national grief over the death of Asha Bhosle, whose decade-long career saw her become one of the most celebrated voices in the history of Indian music.
In a post on X, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said Asha Tai’s passing was a moment of sadness for India and the world.
“This is a moment of sadness for music enthusiasts in India and across the world. She was known as the most versatile artist. Her service to music, service to music by the Mangeshkar family – we saw the demise of Lata didi and we see it today. We are all saddened… It is a great loss for all of us; we stand with the bereaved family,” Fadnavis said.
Asha Bhosle dies at the age of 92
Legendary playback singer and Padma Vibhushan awardee Asha Bhosle died on Sunday in Mumbai at the age of 92, marking the end of an era in Indian music.
She died at Breach Candy Hospital, where she was admitted on the evening of Saturday, April 11, after suffering from extreme exhaustion and a chest infection. Reports said she also suffered a cardiac arrest.
Confirming the cause of death, Dr Pratit Samdani said, “Asha Bhosale breathed her last today at Breach Candy Hospital. She died of multi-organ failure.”
Born in 1933, Asha Bhosle began her musical journey at a young age and rose to prominence in the 1950s. In a career that spanned decades, she recorded thousands of songs in several Indian languages, from classical and ghazals to cabaret, pop and folk.
Her passing marks the end of an era in the history of Indian music.
