Lata Mangeshkar is indeed the pride of not just the Maratha community but the entire Indian music industry. Blessed with a beautiful voice and highly versatile, she is the most recognised and celebrated Indian vocalist today. She has sung in more than 20 languages and is also known as the Nightingale of India.

Lata was born on September 28, 1929 in Indore, Madhya Pradesh, as the daughter of Dinanath Mangeshkar, who was a classical singer as well as a theater artist. She was the first child of the Mangeshkar family. Though born in Indore, she was brought up in Maharashtra. One of her sisters is Asha Bhosle who would grow up to rival Lata in the world of film music later on.

When Lata was five years old, she began working as a theater artist in sangeet nataks. She also started taking singing lessons from her father. Lata's musical studies were not limited to hearing her father sing. She also studied under Aman Ali Khan and later under Amanat Khan, and acquired a good background in classical music.

Lata sang her maiden cinematic song for the Marathi film Kiti Hasaal (1942). The same year, she lost her father. The sudden demise of her father and given the unsound financial condition of her family, she decided to play small roles in various Hindi and Marathi films. She took up the acting assignments, despite the fact that she was not at all fond of acting.

In the year 1945, she happened to meet the film producer S. Mukherji through Ghulam Haider. Haider personally wanted Lata to be given an opportunity to show her singing talent. However, S. Mukherji was not impressed with her voice and said no!

Lata got her biggest break, when she was given the chance to sing "Aayega Aanewaala" for the movie Mahal. The song turned out to be a super duper hit. The 1950s saw her popularity and fame rise steadily and Lata rose to the top in the list of Bollywood singers. She worked with all the famous composers of that era like Shankar Jaikishan, S D Burman, Naushad, Hemant Kumar, and Salil Chowdhury.

The 1960s saw her as the queen of Bollywood playback singing. Her songs got an overwhelming response from people all over the country. During the 1970s, Lata recorded the songs for actress Meena Kumari in the film Pakeezah, which gained her national recognition and popularity. During this period, she performed tracks for SD Burman in films like Prem Pujari , Sharmilee and Abhimaan. In the late 1970s and early 1980s, Lata Mangeshkar worked with the children of the music composers, with whom she had worked in the past.

Lata Mangeshkar has also sung for Yash Chopra`s blockbuster films including Lamhe, Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge, Darr, Yeh Dillagi, and Dil To Pagal Hai. She sang quite a number of Bengali songs too with renowned music directors like Salil Chowdry and Hemant Kumar. She has sung many non film songs including ghazals with Jagjit Singh.

It is interesting to note that she always sings bare foot. Her most outstanding Hindi numbers include "O Sajna Barkha Bahaar Aayee" from Parakh (1960), "Aaja re Pardesi" from Madhumati (1958), "Itna na Mujhse Tu Pyaar Badhaa" from Chhaya (1961), "Allah Tero Naam" from "Hum Dono" (1961), "Ehsaan Tera Hoga Mujh par" from "Junglee" (1961), and "Yeh Sama" from "Jab Jab Phool Khile" (1965). It is often said that her best work came with her songs for Madan Mohan and C. Ramchandra.

In 2001, India honoured her with the Bharat Ratna, the highest civilian award.

Awards won
Film Fare Awards - 1958, 1962, 1965, 1993 and 1994
National Awards - 1972, 1975 and 1990
Maharashtra State Award - 1966 and 1967

Other Awards
1969 - Padma Bhushan
1974 - Recorded in the Guiness Book of World Records for having sung the maximum number of songs in the world.
1989 - Dada Saheb Palke Award
1993 - Filmfare Lifetime achievement award
1996 - Star Screen Lifetime Achievement Award
1997 - Rajiv Gandhi Award
1999 - NTR Award
1999 - Padma Vibhushan
1999 - Zee Cine Award for Lifetime Achievement
2000 - Lifetime Achievement Award by IIFA in London
2001 - Best Playback Singer of the Millennium (Female) by Hero Honda and magazine Stardust.
2001 - Bharat Ratna , India's highest Civilian Award
2001 - Noorjahan Award and Maharashtra Ratna