Assam’s beloved singer Zubeen Garg will be cremated on Tuesday with full state honours. The 52-year-old singer had died in Singapore on September 19 while swimming in the sea, a day before he was set to perform at the Northeast India Festival. His death left fans across the Northeast in shock and grief.
After his body was brought back to India, lakhs of people gathered over two days to pay their respects. Long queues were seen at Sarusajai Stadium in Guwahati, where his body was brought recently. His mortal remains were kept for public viewing. From there, it was to be taken for the last rites at Kamarkuchi in Sonapur.
As per the latest updates, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has arrived at the crematorium in Kamarkuchi NC village to attend the funeral.
Second Postmortem And Final Journey
On Tuesday morning, a second post-mortem was carried out at Gauhati Medical College Hospital in the presence of AIIMS Guwahati doctors. The Assam government ordered the procedure to rule out any foul play, following demands on social media. After the examination, Zubeen’s body was taken back to Sarusajai Stadium before beginning its final journey to Kamarkuchi in Sonapur, on the outskirts of Guwahati.
Thousands of people had already gathered at the cremation site (about 25 km away from the city) by Monday night. His funeral attracted huge crowds, and security was tightened as dignitaries, family, and close associates arrived.
Who All Will Attend The Last Rite Of Zubeen Garg
The last rites will be performed by Zubeen Garg’s younger sister, Pami Borthakur. She was accompanied by Arun Garg, a digital creator who was very close to Zubeen, and writer-lyricist Rahul Gautam Sharma, another close family associate. Around 85 family members and relatives will attend the ceremony. Union minister Kiren Rijiju and Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma were also present to pay their final respects.
In an emotional tribute, CM Sarma recently wrote, “There will never be another Zubeen.” He later posted on X, calling the past two days a reflection of the love and respect the singer commanded from people.
Fans across Assam expressed their grief in different ways. In Jorhat, supporters blocked a national highway for hours, demanding that his body be brought to the city where he had spent his early years.
Yesterday (Monday), his pet dogs Iko, Diya, Rambo, and Maya were also brought to bid him farewell. One fan wrote on social media, “The entire state is grieving. Ever since we heard the news, all of us have been crying. He was loved by all.”
Zubeen Garg (who leaves behind his wife, Garrima Saikia Garg) had no children of his own. But the outpouring of love and respect during his final journey showed that he was truly a family member to millions of fans.
