MUMBAI: Bharat Ratna Lata Mangeshkar is one of the most respected and revered playback singers of India, having recorded songs for over a thousand Hindi films and in over 36 regional Indian and foreign languages. Besides, being the recipient of three National Film Awards, 12 Bengal Film Journalist’s Association Awards, 4 Filmfare Best Female Playback Awards, 2 Filmfare Special Awards, Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award and the Dadasaheb Phalke Award and the Officer of the Legion of Honour Award (France’s highest civilian award) among many others, honours and awards are commonplace for this legend. Yet, Lata Mangeshkar is touched when she is respected and honoured when Shrimad Jagatguru Shankaracharya Param Pujya Vidyanarsimha Bharati Swami of Math at Karvir, Kolhapur, chose to honour her with the ‘Swara Mauli’ title and conferred the same to her at her Prabhu Kunj residence in Mumbai on May 12.

What do think about Lata Mangeshkar?

“It is a very happy moment for us. Jagatguru Shankaracharya had met me earlier at Kolhapur and had conferred the Swara Bharati. I cannot recall the year though,” says Lata Mangeshkar humbly." That Jagatguru Shankaracharya considered me worthy of the second title of Swara Mauli is a matter of immense honour for me. And the fact that my name came to his mind for the honour and he chose to call me to convey the same and is coming to honour me personally makes me feel very blessed. It is not something that you receive every day and I am truly grateful to him for this blessing.”

Adds veteran composer Hridaynath Mangeshkar, “It is a tradition and we feel very honoured. Shrimad Jagatguru Shankaracharya Param Pujya Vidyanarsimha Bharati Swami has ordained our father with the Sangeet Ratna title and I was bestowed with Bhaav Gandharva. Now, he has honoured Lata di with Swara Mauli. This is her second title after Swara Bharati and we all feel truly privileged.”