Legendary singer Lata Mangeshkar’s ashes were immersed in the Ganga River by her family members in Varanasi. Sister Usha Mangeshkar, along with other family members, had reached Varanasi with the urn containing the ashes. They took a boat at Khidkiya Ghat from where they went to Ahilyabai Ghat. After performing the Vedic rituals under the guidance of the priest Shrikant Pathak at the ghat, the ashes were immersed in the midstream of Ganga.
According to reports, Lata’s family had kept her ashes in three separate pots as per tradition. Last month, her ashes were immersed in Ramkund. Her family conducted the last rituals on the bank of Godavari in Nashik and immersed her ashes in the river. Lata Mangeshkar’s nephew Adinath Mangeshkar and sister Usha Mangeshkar were also present for the rituals. After the immersion in Ramkund, it was reported that Lata’s ashes will also be taken to Kashi and Hardwar. Of the three pots, one was to be taken to Kashi for the ashes to be immersed in the Ganga while the other pot will be taken to Haridwar for immersion.
On 8 January 2022, Lata Mangeshkar tested positive for COVID-19 with mild symptoms and was admitted to Breach Candy Hospital's intensive care unit in Mumbai. She remained in the ICU with signs of "marginal improvement" in her health. The doctors treating her had taken her off the ventilator on 28 January after her health "improved marginally'. however, she was back on the ventilator on 5 February, after her health deteriorated, and was undergoing "aggressive therapy. " Mangeshkar died from multiple organ dysfunction syndrome on 6 February 2022, at the age of 92. She had undergone 28 days of constant treatment for pneumonia and COVID-19