Assam paid its final tribute to music legend Zubeen Garg on Tuesday as he was cremated with full state honours and a 21-gun salute in Kamarkuchi, on the outskirts of Guwahati. The 52-year-old singer, who passed away in Singapore on September 19, was remembered by hundreds of thousands of grieving fans who sang his most cherished song, Mayabini, from the 2001 Assamese film Daag.
Zubeen’s body was brought to the cremation ground from the Arjun Bhogeswar Baruah Sports Complex, where Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, Union Minister Kiren Rijiju, Speaker Biswajit Daimary, and former Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal paid their last respects.
His beloved dogs — Iko, Diya, Rambo, and Maya — were also brought by the family to bid a final farewell.
Fans and Family Bid Emotional Goodbye
At the cremation ground, Zubeen’s wife Garima Saikia Garg, dressed in a traditional mekhela chador, stood by the pyre with folded hands, crying inconsolably. His sister Palme Borthakur and his protege, music composer Rahul Gautam, lit the pyre as fans united in song.
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The farewell turned into a collective outpouring of grief and respect, with mourners recalling his three-decade-long career that spanned over 40 languages. Even a day earlier, thousands had lined the 25-km stretch from Guwahati airport to his residence to pay homage.
Born in Meghalaya, Zubeen became a household name in the early 1990s and shot to national fame with Ya Ali from the 2006 film Gangster, which remains one of his most iconic songs.
