Edited by Deepali Verma
Veteran classical music singer and recipient of three Padma awards, Prabha Atre has passed away in the morning of January 13 owing to a heart attack at the age of 92. Once she suffered a heart attack, she was on her way to Deenanath Mangeshkar Hospital in Pune where she collapsed before reaching the hospital. She was supposed to participate in a program in Mumbai on January 13. However, before this, her health continued to deteriorate.
Prabha Atre was born on 13 September 1932 in Pune. Her life saw several achievements, the most prestigious of which was Padma Shri in the year 1990, Padma Bhushan in the year 2002 and Padma Vibhushan in the year 2022. Recently on 25 December, she was further awarded the Atal Sanskriti Award by the Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra Devendra Fadnavis.
Fadnavis, expressing his grief over her demise, said, “Her leaving the world is extremely saddening, Bharatiya music will always be indebted to her. I give her my heartfelt tribute and may God provide her family the strength to bear this loss.”
Maharashtra’s Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar expressed his grief and said, “Prabha ji’s demise signifies the end of a glorious era of classical music and is a big loss to the country’s music sector and art sector.”
The Chief Minister of Maharashtra, in order to pay tribute, has directed the administration to perform the last rites of the singer with full state honours.
Atre’s relatives are currently abroad and upon their return to the country, her last rites will be performed in Pune on January 16.
