Singer Zubeen Garg’s last rites were performed on Tuesday in the forest area of Kamarkuchi, the outskirts of Guwahati, Assam, amidst Vedic chanting with full state honors, where thousands of people gathered to give a final farewell to the popular singer.
His sister Palame Borthhakur and composer Rahul Gautam, who were the disciples of the singer, on fire amidst the salute of guns.
Under the guidance of the priests, he revolved around the pyre seven times and all the people present at that site, most of whom were moist, stood up to pay a final tribute to the singer, who mesmerized people with more than 38,000 songs in three decades.
Zubeen’s wife Garima Saikia Garg was sitting on the side of the stage where she was cremated. She kept crying throughout the ritual, while the singer’s friend and Union Minister Pabitra Margerita was comforting her.
Garg’s 85 -year -old sick father Mohini Mohan Mohan Borathhakur was sitting some distance away with the family members. Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, who is a fan of Zubeen, was seen standing near the stage where the pyre was lit.
As soon as the smoke rose from the flames, slogans like ‘Zubeen, Zubin’ and ‘Jai Zubeen Da’ started echoing in the air and people were heard singing their song ‘Mayabini Ratiir Booku’. All this continued during rituals organized in the emotional environment.
After paying tribute to the popular singer, the Assam Police saluted him and played the bugle. Earlier, Garg’s body was taken to a platform and placed on the pyre between Vedic chanting and Shankhanad.
The family performed some Vedic rituals, while Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal, Kiren Rijiju and the Chief Minister placed wood on the pyre. A branch of sandalwood tree, which was planted by Zubeen on his birthday in 2017, was placed on the pyre.
Earlier, the body of the popular singer was brought on Sunday and placed in Arjun Bhogeshwar Barua Sports Complex to pay tribute to fans.
After being brought to Kamarkachi, his body was placed on a platform next to the stage where he was cremated. The pyre made on the stage was covered with white umbrella and was decorated with flowers around it.
A team of Assam police personnel was carrying the coffin carrying the body of Zubeen. From Monday night, a large number of people gathered around the funeral site and the entire area resonated with slogans like ‘Zubeen Amar Rahe’, ‘Jai Zubeen Da’.
People were heard humming her song ‘Mayabini Ratiir Booku’, about which the singer once said that this song should be sung at her funeral. Family members, including his wife Garima, paid tribute to the singer at the funeral site.
Sonowal, Rijiju and Margerita, along with Sarma, Assembly Speaker Biswajit Daari and several cabinet ministers and senior government officials, laid a wreath on the singer’s coffin.
Sonowal, Margerita, Chief Minister and Leader of Opposition Debabrata Saikia paid tribute to the singer by sitting on their knees.
Representatives of Arunachal Pradesh Government, Assam Sahitya Sabha (ASS), various student unions, Hatimura Karbi Samaj, Artist Forum, Zubeen Garg Fan Club and others also paid their last tribute to Garg.
Meanwhile, the second post -mortem of Garg’s body was done at Guwahati Medical College Hospital on Tuesday morning. The first autopsy was conducted in Singapore, where he died on September 19 while floating in the sea.
Earlier in the day, Garg’s body was placed in a cold glass coffin and wrapped in traditional Assamese ‘Gamosa’ and moved from sports complex to the funeral site in an ambulance adorned with flowers.
A huge white-white picture of the singer was placed in front of the vehicle. The last journey of Zubine reached Kamarakuchi via Sarusjai, Beltola, Khanapada and Jorabat. The singer’s family, close relatives and some friends followed him in separate vehicles.