Guwahati: The mortal remains of Assam’s musical icon Zubeen Garg arrived in Guwahati from New Delhi on Sunday morning, setting off an emotional farewell as lakhs of grieving admirers lined the streets to pay homage.
The casket, flown in on a scheduled flight from Delhi, was first brought out onto the runway of Lokpriya Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport, where his wife, Garima Saikia Garg, placed floral tributes and draped it with an Assamese gamosa.
Overcome with grief, she broke down while embracing the coffin before it was moved into a flower-adorned ambulance.
Senior state officials, including Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, Union Minister of State for External Affairs Pabitra Margherita, and top police officers, were present at the airport to receive the singer’s body.
From the airport, the convoy carrying Garg’s mortal remains began the slow 25-km journey to his Kahilipara home.
The vehicle was showered with flowers by fans who thronged every stretch of the route, chanting “Jai Zubeen da” and singing his songs.
Many held cut-outs of the singer and gamosas emblazoned with “Zubeen Garg Forever,” while others captured the moment on their phones.
Garg’s favourite open jeep, which he often used for performances, accompanied the procession with his portrait mounted at the front, while his team of musicians rode alongside.
The body will be kept briefly at his Kahilipara residence to allow family members, including his ailing 85-year-old father, to offer their final respects in private.
Entry to the street has been restricted to give the family solitude in their moment of loss.
Later in the day, his remains will be placed at the Arjun Bhogeswar Baruah Sports Complex from 9 am to 7 pm for the public to pay homage.
Thousands had already gathered outside the venue since Saturday night, a testament to the singer’s deep bond with the people of Assam.
Zubeen Garg, who died in Singapore on Friday after drowning while swimming in the sea without a life jacket, was 52.
His body was flown to Delhi late Saturday night before being transported to Guwahati.
Details of the last rites are yet to be finalised, with the Assam Cabinet set to decide on the cremation venue later on Sunday.
For more than three decades, Garg had captivated audiences with over 38,000 songs across 40 languages and dialects, leaving behind a legacy unmatched in Assam’s cultural landscape.
His passing has plunged the state into mourning, with lakhs turning out to give their beloved “Zubeen da” a final journey home.
