India declared two days of state mourning in a mark of respect for the legendary singer Lata Mangeshkar who passed away at the age of 92 at a hospital in Mumbai on Sunday. Mangeshkar, one of India's biggest cultural icons, will be accorded a state funeral, the Indian government announced.

The singer was admitted to Mumbai's Breach Candy Hospital on January 11 after testing positive for COVID-19. She died on Sunday morning of "multi-organ failure after more than 28 days of hospitalization post COVID-19," Dr Pratit Samdani, who was treating her at the hospital, told news agency ANI. She is survived by her four siblings.

Mangeshkar had an extraordinary career spanning more than seven decades, during which she recorded over 15,000 songs in 36 languages. The Guinness Book of Records had listed Mangeshkar along with her younger sister Asha Bhosle as the two most recorded voices ever in the history.

Born on September 28, 1929 in a family of musicians, Mangeshkar began singing in her teens. Her melodious voice has echoed from television sets, on fuzzy radio waves and from movie theaters for most of independent India's 75 years, making her a "living" legend for many generations, and giving her the title of India's "Nightingale." She received India's highest civilian honor, the Bharat Ratna, in 2001.

'Her memory will live through her music'

With the news of her death breaking virally on social media, tributes began pouring in for Mangeshkar from across India and beyond from a cross-section of people including political leaders, Bollywood actors, artists, cricketers, journalists and foreign diplomats.

Indian President Ram Nath Kovind said the singer's death was "heart-breaking for me, as it is for millions the world over," noting that in her songs, generations found expression of their inner-most emotions.”

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said he was left "anguished beyond words" following the news. "The kind and caring Lata Didi has left us. She leaves a void in our nation that cannot be filled. The coming generations will remember her as a stalwart of Indian culture, whose melodious voice had an unparalleled ability to mesmerize people," he tweeted.

Opposition leader from Indian National Congress Party Rahul Gandhi emphasized that Mangeshkar "remained the most beloved voice of India for many decades" and that "her golden voice is immortal and will continue to echo in the hearts of her fans."

Conveying his "profound condolence to her family and the people of India," former Afghan president Hamid Karzai observed that "With her voice Lata Mangeshkar filled millions of hearts with joy. Her melodies are universal and forever."

"Rest In Peace Nightingale of India, Lata Mangeshkar," tweeted Sri Lankan Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa. "Thank you for the decades of entertainment that transcended borders & gave life to the phrase 'music is a universal language.'... Her memory will live through her music."

"A legend is no more. Lata Mangeshkar was a melodious queen who ruled the world of music for decades. She was uncrowned queen of music; her voice shall keep ruling the hearts of people for all times to come #RIPLataMangeshker," tweeted Pakistan's Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry from Beijing, where he is currently part of a delegation led by Prime Minister Imran Khan.

'A golden era of music ends'

Many prominent members of Bollywood also paid tribute to Mangeshkar, who was often called the "Melody Queen of Bollywood" for her stellar role as a playback singer in the film industry.

"Love, respect and prayers," tweeted Oscar- and Grammy-winning Indian musician A R Rahman. Mangeshkar sang a number of his award-winning songs.

Actor-turned-politician Hema Malini said she was lucky to have performed in many of Mangeshkar's popular songs. "No one can sing like her, she was very special. Her passing away is very saddening," she told ANI.

Actor Swara Bhaskar reflected the sentiments of many in India as she tweeted: "You live on in the songs we sing along to on road trips, in family Antakshari (a game of singing), in school functions, in reunions, on evenings alone at home.. in our nostalgia & our celebration. Thank you for uniting generations through the magic of your voice."

Sharing a picture of the singer, director Zoya Akhtar described the singer as "immortal" and actor Manoj Bajpayee said that with Mangeshkar's demise "a golden era of music world has truly ended."

Presence in Chinese music platforms

Over the years some of Mangeshkar's songs became popular among Bollywood fans in China. Most notable are her songs "Aankhein Khuli" from the movie "Mohabbatein" (2000) and "Tujhe Dekha To" from "Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge" (1995) which are quite a rage among some of the Chinese fans of Bollywood.

The Chinese music-streaming platforms such as NetEase and QQ Music feature an artist's page each dedicated to the Indian singer which hosts hundreds of Mangeshkar's songs. 

As per the NetEase page, her other popular songs are from "Dil To Pagal Hai" (1997) and "Kabhi Khushi Kabhi Gham" (2001), while QQ Music also features older songs from "Krodhi" (1981), "Noorie" (1979) and "Tere Ghar Ke Samne" (1963) prominently.