International Music College to be named after Lata Mangeshkar

Pune: The Maharashtra cabinet on Wednesday decided to name the proposed international music college in Mumbai after legendary singer Lata Mangeshkar, who died recently, a state minister said here. The proposed institution will be known as Bharat Ratna Lata Deenanath Mangeshkar International Music College, said Higher and Technical Education Minister Uday Samant. Mangeshkar, 92 who enthralled millions with her divine voice for almost eight decades died on Sunday at a Mumbai hospital following multi-organ failure.

“One-and-a-half years ago, my department had decided to set up Master Deenanath Mangeshkar International Music College on a land in Kalina, which belongs to Mumbai University. A committee was set up, of which Hridaynath Mangeshkar (Lata Mangeshkar’s brother) was made the chairman, while Usha Mangeshkar (her sister), Adinath Mangeshkar, Zakir Hussain, A R Rahman, Suresh Wadkar and several other personalities were its members. A survey was also done under Lata didi,” Samant told a press conference at the Savitribai Phule Pune University (SPPU) here.

The process of land acquisition for the project took some time, he said, adding, “But unfortunately Lata didi passed away.” “During our meeting with her family members, they proposed that the college name should be changed to Bharat Ratna Lata Deenanath Mangeshkar as Deenanath Mangeshkar was her father and guru. So a decision was taken in the cabinet meeting that the international institution for music in Mumbai will be named after Lata didi and it will be set up on the land of the higher and technical education department,” Samant added. There will be an international standard museum in this college, where people can also do research, he said.