Lata Mangeshkar, India’s nightingale whose countless melodies are fused with the country’s post-Independence narrative, died on Sunday morning. Born September 28, 1929, she was 92. Mangeshkar was admitted to Breach Candy Hospital on January 8 and spent nearly a month in the ICU, battling Covid, pneumonia and age-related problems.

She is survived by sisters, playback singers Asha Bhosle, Usha Mangeshkar and Meena Khadikar; brother, music director Pandit Hridayanath; nephews and nieces; ardent admirers—and a treasure trove of songs that have become part of the collective visual and aural memory. To borrow aline from one of her famous songs, Mangeshkar will remain a fragrant presence in our lives forever, regardless of whether she is with us or not.

President Ram Nath Kovind and PM Narendra Modi led the tributes, with Modi saying she had left “a void in our nation that cannot be filled.” The Centre declared it would observe two days of national mourning. In Maharashtra, a state funeral was announced within an hour after the news broke.

Her death marks the end of a momentous age in which cinema emerged as an instrument of socio-cultural assimilation. With the finest musicians and lyric poets flocking to the industry after 1947, filmdom’s golden era peaked at the same time as Mangeshkar’s career. Singing stars of an earlier era were replaced by professional playback artists, and the chanteuse became the standard against which female voices were measured.

“The industry realised the artistic and commercial merit of a song thanks to her,” said cinema chronicler Veerchand Dharamsey. In a career spanning over seven decades, Mangeshkar is believed to have recorded over 7,000 songs in 30 languages. Private albums of bhajans and ghazals added to her vast repertoire.

“Generations of actors— from Kamini Kaushal to Kajol and Bina Rai to Aishwarya Rai—lip-synched to her work. Her ability to capture an emotion was perfect for celluloid. Hers was a voice that symbolised “youth, freshness and passion,” said classical exponent Shruti Sadolikar.