Panaji: She entered every space as Padma Vibhushan awardee Asha Bhosle, regarded among the most prolific and versatile vocalists in India. But when she flitted in and out of Goa, it was always unannounced—as a devotee of Lord Manguesh, a lover of Goan cuisine, and as a daughter of her Goan origin father and master of Natya Sangeet, Deenanath Mangeshkar.Bhonsle’s last known visit to Goa was in 2024, when she hopped restaurants and homes of friends which served the best Goan fish meals.In 2022, however, she surprised all devotees when she entered Shree Manguesh temple at Mangueshi in Ponda to offer prayers. And after circumambulation around the deity, sat down and broke into a song “Mogara Phulala”, a Marathi abhang written by the 13th-century Sant Dnyaneshwar about divine love.“It was Asha tai’s last visit to Mangueshi temple. She possibly knew it. As she entered with great difficulty. She called me up and told me to arrange for her to alight at the stairs, as she would not manage to walk the climb till the flight of stairs. She broke out in the song instinctively, surprising everyone present,” said family friend Anup Priolkar.After all, Bhosle has stated in interviews that she had seen the Mangueshi temple in her dreams even before she could visit it.
“She made no secret of how big a devotee she is of Lord Manguesh. She would openly say that how devotion to him had allowed her to get through every difficult phase of her life,” Priolkar said.In the monsoon of 2024, Bhosle visited Goa again and went on a Goan food tasting spree, making a stop at the Campal-Panaji home of renowned Goan Hindustani classical vocalist Pravin Gaonkar.“Mackerel and lady fish were her favourite. She kept coming back to Goa, as of course her father was from Goa, but she loved the weather and environment and peace here. But she especially loved Goan cuisine. She would make these surprise visits, coming unannounced. She would love discussing food and recipes. She would personally visit the market in Goa to take dried fish back home with her,” Goankar told TOI.However, she knew little Konkani, with her father having passed away when Bhosle was very young. Her sister Lata Mangeshkar is known to be more proficient in the language. But for Bhosle, who has sung in 18 languages, it wasn’t a barrier and she sung and made several Konkani song popular including ‘Bhuierantlo Munis’ for a 1977 Konkani film and ‘Channeachi Rati’.“More recently, she touched hearts with numerous songs in filmmaker Rajendra Talak’s Konkani album ‘Dharyachya Deger’.
Goa continued to remain a big part in her life,” said advertising professional Kedar Dhume, who was among the last to interview her telephonically in March this year, before her passing.“Above all, she loved staying positive and cracking jokes. She did not allow this to change despite tragedies in her personal life. Even during her last visit, she had promised to return for the programme ‘Swara Manguesh’ we hold annually in honour of her father Deenanath Mangeshkar,” said Gaonkar.
