A Farewell to Legendary Singer Lata Mangeshkar in Numbers

From Aziz Inan, professor, University of Portland

Lata Mangeshkar passed away on Feb.6. She is widely considered to have been one of the greatest and most influential singers in India. She recorded songs in over thirty-six Indian languages and a few foreign languages, though primarily in Hindi, Bengali, and Marathi. Over the course of nearly eight decades, her contribution to the Indian music industry gained her honorific titles such as the Nightingale of India, Queen of Melody and Voice of the Millennium.

I was impressed by Mangeshkar’s unparalleled achievements. I prepared the following numerical curiosities to honor her:

1. Mangeshkar died at age 92 and interestingly, 92 constitutes the middle two digits of her birth year, 1929.

2. Further, the sum of the prime factors of 92, namely 2 and 23, equals 25 and the 25th prime number is 97. Interestingly, if numbers one through 26 are assigned to letters A through Z, 97 also equals the sum of the letter numbers of Mangeshkar.

3. Mangeshkar celebrated her 92nd birthday on 28 September 2021, 131 days before her death. Coincidentally, the letter numbers of Lata Mangeshkar add up to 131.

4. Mangeshkar died 234 days before her 93rd birthday. Note that the reverse of 93, namely 39, times the difference of its digits results in 39 x 6 = 234.

5. Additionally, one third of Mangeshkar’s birth year, 1929, equals 643 and 643 is the 117th prime number. Interestingly, twice 117 is 234 too.

6. Mangeshkar’s 93rd birthday to occur this year on 28 September would have been numerically special because the sum of the prime factors of 93 is 3 + 31 = 34 and 34 is the sum of the letter numbers of Lata. Further, 34 = 17 + 17 and 17 x 17 = 289, Mangeshkar’s birthdate, 28 September (28/9).

7. Mangeshkar’s 94th birthday to occur on 28/9/2023 would have been special too because if 94 is split as 9 and 4, the sum of the squares of 9 and 4 equals 97 and again, 97 is the sum of the letter numbers of Mangeshkar.

8. Furthermore, if 2892023 is split as 289 and 2023, 2023 divided by the sum of its digits, namely 7, yields 289.

9. Moreover, if Mangeshkar’s 94th birthday is expressed with eight digits as 28/09/2023 and if this date is split in the middle as 2809 and 2023, the difference of these two numbers is 786 and 786 is six times 131 (Lata Mangeshkar).

10. Mangeshkar’s 95th birthday in 2024 would have also been special since each year has 95 days from her birthday to the end of the year.

11. Mangeshkar’s 96th birthday in 2025 would have been special too because 96 divided by the difference of its digits equals 32 and the 32nd prime number is 131 (Lata Mangeshkar).

12. Also, the product of the digits of 96 equals 54 and the reverse of 54 is 45. Interestingly, 2025 equals 45 square.

13. Mangeshkar’s 97th birthday in 2026 would also have been special since again, 97 is the sum of the letter numbers of Mangeshkar.

14. Mangeshkar’s 98th birthday in 2027 would have been special too because the digits of 98 add up to 17 and 17 square equals 289, her birthdate (28/9).

15. Mangeshkar’s 99th birthday in 2028 would also have been special since the sum of the prime multipliers of 99 equals 17 and again, square of 17 is 289.

16. Mangeshkar’s 100th birthday to occur on 28/09/2029 would have been special too because if this date split as 28, 09, 20, and 29, twice the sum of these four numbers yields 172 and the reverse of 172 is 271. Interestingly, the 271st day of 2029 is Mangeshkar’s centennial birthday, 28/09/2029.

17. Lastly, if Mangeshkar’s birthdate 28/09 is split as 28 and 09, the sum of the reverses of these two numbers, namely 82 and 90, yields 172. Again, the reverse of 172 is 271 and the 271st day of 1929 was 28/09/1929, the day when Mangeshkar was born.

Farewell to legendary singer Lata Mangeshkar. I hope she rests in peace. Amen.