Noted singer and composer Zubeen Garg was on Tuesday cremated with full state honours in Kamarkuchi on the outskirts of Guwahati. The final rites were performed by Zubeen Garg's sister Palme Borthakur. The singer's widow, Garima Saikia, was seen in tears while paying her final tribute to 'Goldie', the name he was known as among friends and family. A gun salute was given to Zubeen at the crematorium in Kamarkuchi village in Sonapur. Hundreds of people gathered at the crematorium to bid an emotional farewell to their beloved singer. Chief Minister of Assam, Himanta Biswa Sarma paid floral tributes and wrote in a post on his social media, "The last time that I got to see #BelovedZubeen. From now on he will live in Assam's soul, mind and hearts..." Union Minister Kiren Rijiju paid his last respects to Garg at the crematorium in Kamarkuchi. Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma was present at the site, closely monitoring all the rituals in coordination with the authorities and the singer's family members. The mortal remains of the late singer were kept at the Bhogesawar Baruah Sports Complex for his fans and well-wishers to pay their tributes before his funeral.
The Assam government had earlier announced a three-day state mourning in the wake of the demise of the singer. The Assam CMO stated that there will be no official entertainment, ceremonial programs, or public celebrations during this period. The 52-year-old icon of Assam died in Singapore on Friday after a drowning incident. His body was flown to Delhi and later transported to Assam on a commercial flight that landed in Guwahati on Sunday morning. Garg was in Singapore for the Northeast India Festival. The news sent a shockwave across the nation, with condolences and tributes pouring in on social media. Known as the cultural icon of Assam, Garg was not just a singer but also a composer, music director, actor, and filmmaker. With a career spanning over three decades, he lent his voice to thousands of songs in Assamese, Hindi, Bengali, and several other Indian languages. Garg was a multi-instrumentalist and played 12 instruments, including anandalahari, dhol, dotara, drums, guitar, harmonica, harmonium, mandolin, keyboard, tabla, and various percussion instruments.