Singer Zubin Garg was cremated with full state honours on Tuesday at his native village, Kamarkuchi, in Sonapur.
Amid chants of Vedic hymns and the blowing of conch shells, the mortal remains of Assamese music icon Zubeen Garg were consigned to flames at Kamarkuchi on the outskirts of Guwahati on Tuesday. His sister, Palmee Borthakur, and his protege, music composer Rahul Gautam, lit the pyre, circling it seven times under the guidance of priests.
Hardest day for Garima Saikia
The final rites were marked with deep emotion. Garg’s wife, Garima Saikia Garg, sat beside the platform, sobbing quietly as family, friends, and thousands of admirers looked on. As smoke rose from the pyre, the crowd broke into chants of ‘Zubeen, Zubeen’ and sang ‘Mayabini Ratir Buku’, a song the singer had often wished to be played at his funeral.
Zubeen Garg cremated with state honours
The Assam Police accorded Garg full state honours, offering a gun salute and sounding the bugle. Union Ministers Sarbananda Sonowal, Kiren Rijiju, and Pabitra Margherita, along with Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, Assembly Speaker Biswajit Daimary, Leader of Opposition Debabrata Saikia, and several cabinet colleagues, laid wreaths and paid their respects. In a symbolic gesture, a sandalwood branch planted by Garg on his birthday in 2017 was also placed on the pyre.
Zubeen was brought back to Sarusajai Stadium after second post-mortem
The singer’s final journey began from the Arjun Bhogeswar Baruah Sports Complex in Guwahati, where his body was brought after a second post-mortem at Gauhati Medical College Hospital. From there, it was taken to Kamarkuchi, where a sea of mourners had already gathered.
Huge crowd had gathered for Zubeen’s last rites
Many climbed nearby hills to catch a glimpse of the ceremony, with slogans of ‘Long Live Zubeen’ and Jai Zubeen Da’ echoing through the sylvan surroundings. The farewell captured both the grief of Assam and the enduring legacy of an artist who defined its cultural heartbeat.
Also Read: Zubeen Garg funeral: Assam bids farewell as sister Palmee Borthakur lights singer’s funeral pyre
