International music college in legend Lata Mangeshkar’s name in Mumbai, proposed

Even as Maharashtra State senior political leaders are still discussing and debating over whether to erect a grand memorial statue of legendary ‘late’ melody-queen Lata Mangeshkar at Shivaji Park (Mumbai) or at some other strategic location, the State Government has decided to establish an international music-college dedicated to the music-icon - Chaitanya Padukone

An in-principle approval was given to the proposal in a meeting of the state cabinet yesterday,. The state higher and technical education department will bring a formal proposal before the cabinet for its approval.

The proposed institution will be known as Bharat Ratna Lata Deenanath Mangeshkar International Music College and will be built at the Kalina campus of Mumbai University and will be affiliated to Mumbai University.

State higher and technical education minister Uday Samant has confirmed the development. A top Sena minister said chief minister Uddhav Thackeray and his son, state environment minister Aaditya Thackeray, were keen on the college which was originally the idea of Lata-Didi Mangeshkar herself.

It is a known fact that both new and senior female top playback singers and eminent classical singers and music-composers consider versatile Lata-Didi as their ‘distance-Sangeet-Guru’ .

That’s because according to them, ‘just by repeatedly listening diligently to her divine voice and supreme singing in her wide variety of evergreen songs, is itself is a precious learning-training-education by itself.’

“A year and a half ago, my department had decided to set up Master Deenanath Mangeshkar International Music College on land in Kalina, which belongs to Mumbai University.

During our recent meeting with her family members, they have now proposed to name the college after Lata Mangeshkar as Deenanath Mangeshkar was her father and guru (teacher) as well.

Thus a decision was taken in the cabinet meeting that the international institution for music in Mumbai will be named after Lata-Didi,” Samant said in Pune. They are of the opinion that such an institution would be a more fitting memorial to the legend than just a structure.

A formal announcement by the state is expected in the state budget for 2022-23 which will be presented to the state legislature in the budget session that begins on February 28.

An official said that the college would have various facilities and eminent instructors-teachers to teach music from different streams from Indian classical to Western classical.

In the past, a committee was set up under the chairmanship of Hridaynath Mangeshkar (Lata Mangeshkar’s younger brother) for setting up a music college in the name of Dinanath Mangeshkar on a five-acre plot at the Kalina campus.

Usha Mangeshkar (her sister), Adinath Mangeshkar, Zakir Hussain, A R Rahman, Suresh Wadkar among other personalities are members of the panel. “Lata Mangeshkar was even showed the Kalina plot which she liked,” the official added.

“Meri Aawaz hee Pehchaan hai, Gar Yaad Rahe “ and “Rahen na Rahen Hum, Mehkaa Karenge’ ! Immortal legend Lata-Didi’s supreme vocal repertoire and her divine fragrance will always linger and resonate for all generations to come.