'Was mesmerised by her voice': Mamata announces half-day holiday to mourn Lata Mangeshkar's death

Kolkata: Mourning the death of singing legend Lata Mangeshkar, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee announced a half-day holiday on Monday in her honour.

Banerjee said she was mesmerised by Mangeshkar's voice, and felt grateful that she held Bengal and the artistes of the east dear to her heart and integral to her magnificent world of music.

"I pay my heart-felt tribute to the departed icon of India, Bharatratna Lata Mangeshkar. While offering my sincerest condolences to her family and the billions of admirers that she leaves behind all over the world, I express my deepest sadness at the demise of the genius that the Nightingale of India truly was," the chief minister tweeted.

"Like all her fans and followers across the planet, I was also mesmerized by her voice and renderings, and felt grateful that she held Bengal and the artistes of the East so dear to her heart and so integral to her magnificent world of music," she added.

Later, Banerjee told a Bengali news channel that the state government will declare a half-day holiday on Monday to mourn the demise of Mangeshkar and honour her.

Mangeshkar (92) died at a hospital in Mumbai around 8.12 am on Sunday due to multiple organ failure, her sister Usha Mangeshkar and doctors treating her said.