Guwahati: Sea of Humanity Pays Tribute to Zubeen Garg at Sarusajai

Staff Reporter

Guwahati: Countless people turned up at the Bhogeswar Baruah Sports Complex at Sarusajai on Sunday to pay their last respects to the singing heartthrob of people of all ages. Zubeen had met with an untimely death on September 19 while swimming in the sea in Singapore, where he had gone to perform at the Northeast India Festival organized there. His mortal remains arrived this morning and were later taken to Sarusajai, where people will be able to pay their last respects throughout Sunday night and Monday.

His mortal remains were flown to Guwahati on Air India Express flight IX 1197, which landed at LGBI airport at 6.40 AM.

The route from Guwahati’s Lokpriya Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport to his Kahilipara residence and then to the Sarusajai stadium turned into a river of emotions on Sunday as the mortal remains of singer Zubeen Garg, the voice of a generation, were brought home. His last journey to his residence turned into a 28 km-long procession of grief, love, and collective heartbreak as thousands of fans accompanied the convoy comprising the hearse and other vehicles.

When the flight carrying Zubeen’s body landed from Delhi, the silence at the airport was broken by muffled sobs. The coffin was carefully lifted from the luggage hold and first placed near the runway. There, his wife, Garima Saikia Garg, collapsed in tears as she placed floral tributes and draped a white Assamese phulam gamosa over the casket. Hugging it tightly, she whispered her last words to her husband while airport staff and fellow passengers looked on, many wiping away tears at the emotional scene.

The casket, adorned with flowers, was then placed inside a specially decorated ambulance, which was used as a hearse. Cultural Affairs Minister Bimal Borah, senior government officials, and security personnel saw off the convoy, but it was a grief-stricken yet dignified Garima who travelled inside the vehicle as the journey to the Kahilipara residence of the Gargs began at 7.10 AM.

It took more than 6 hours for the convoy to travel the 28-km stretch from the airport to Kahilipara via the Jalukbari point, Boragaon and Lokhra on the Guwahati Bypass as people lined up all along the route for a glimpse of the cultural icon and to pay floral tributes on the vehicle carrying Zubeen’s mortal remains. From the moment the convoy left the airport’s VIP gate, it was clear that Guwahati had come to a standstill. Thousands had gathered by the roadside, chanting “Jai Zubeen da!” and holding cut-outs of their idol, which impeded the progress, but it could not be helped, as people had been waiting since early morning.

Every inch of space—road dividers, pavements, balconies, terraces, and even rooftops—was filled with people. Some climbed atop vehicles for a better view. Many folded their hands in silent prayer, while others cried aloud, asking, “Why did you leave us so soon, Zubeen da?” Flower petals rained down constantly on the ambulance-cum-hearse, mixing with the tears of his fans. Alongside the ambulance, Zubeen’s favourite open jeep—in which he often travelled to concerts—rolled slowly with a giant portrait of the singer mounted at the front.

When the convoy finally reached Kahilipara at 1.30 PM, security forces ensured only family and close friends could enter the street leading to the apartment. The crowd, though restless, respected the family’s wish for privacy. Reporters and outsiders were barred as Garima and her loved ones embraced the reality of loss inside their home.

The coffin was carefully lifted out of the vehicle and taken inside the home, where the singer’s body was lifted out and placed inside a cooled glass casket. His face, calm and serene, was left visible while the rest of his body was draped in the sacred gamosa. Garima stood beside him, her palms resting on the glass case as she broke down repeatedly, whispering words through tears.

It was at that time that renowned sculptor Diganta Madhab Goswami collected the imprint of the late singer’s feet, using a state-of-the-art technique.

After the family, including Zubeen’s father, Mohini Mohan Borthakur, and close associates spent some private moments with the deceased singer, the convoy proceeded to Sarusajai stadium, where fans had been waiting impatiently since early morning to pay their last respects. Some enthusiastic fans had been waiting all night at the stadium as well as the airport. The convoy arrived at 3 PM.

In view of the tremendous numbers of people gathered at the stadium, police and Rapid Action Force personnel were deployed to control the crowd. The people braved the bright sunshine and heat as well as the rain that fell later in the afternoon to catch a glimpse of their favourite star and pay floral tributes to his body.

It is worth noting that people poured into Guwahati from every corner of Assam—some travelling overnight by bus, others arriving in cars and on two-wheelers—to bid farewell to the voice that defined their lives.

Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma put an end to the uncertainty over the keeping of the singer’s body at Sarusajai when he took to his X handle to say, “More and more people wish to see our beloved Zubeen one last time, and we deeply understand these sentiments. Therefore, Bhogeswar Baruah Stadium will remain open throughout the night today for the public to pay their respects to Zubeen. Tomorrow also, the mortal remains of Zubeen will be kept at Sarusajai for people to offer their homage.”

Also Read: Arunachal CM Pema Khandu Honors Music Legend Zubeen Garg

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