Veteran singer Juthika Roy, well known for her Meera Bhajans breathed her last on Wednesday.
Roy, 93, was admitted to Ramkrishna Mission Seva Pratishtan in Kolkata since January and succumbed to health complications on 5 February, reported The Hindustan Times.
The legendary singer rose to fame during the 1930's and was shown high regards by Mahatma Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru. She was warmly referred to as "Adhunik Meera" for her soulful renditions of Meera's Bhajans.
The Father of the Nation is said to have listened to Roy's devotional songs during his prayer meetings on a daily basis.
Roy began singing at the age of seven and by the age of 13 her first record was released. She was under the mentorship of Kavi Nazrul Islam and noted music composer Kamal Dasgupta.
The singer's sweet voice had enticed Nehru so much that she was requested to sing on All India Radio station as the country's first Prime Minster went on to hoist the National flag on India's first Independence Day in 1947.
The "Pag Ghungruu Baandh Meera Nachi" songstress was honoured with Padma Shri in 1972.
She lent her voice to numerous Hindi and Bengali films during her career, but gradually shifted to devotional songs and became a well known figure in her space.
However, despite all the fame and accolades, Roy was pushed to oblivion as she retreated to a quiet spinster's life in her house with her sisters and nephew.
