Durga Puja Across Assam Turns Somber; Devotees Pay Tribute to Zubeen Garg

This year’s Durga Puja in Assam carries a sombre note, as devotees celebrate the festival with tradition and rituals but without the usual joy and festivity. This is the first Puja without the presence of legendary singer Zubeen Garg, whose sudden demise has left an irreplaceable void in the cultural spirit of the state. Across Assam, community puja committees have been paying heartfelt tributes to the artist while keeping the celebrations subdued.

In Guwahati’s Datalpara, the Sarbajanin Durga Puja Committee observed the festival with simplicity. Paying homage to Zubeen Garg with his portrait, the committee organised the rituals strictly in line with tradition, steering clear of extravagant celebrations. Devotees participated with heavy hearts, offering prayers amid chants of Vedic hymns.

In Sipajhar, the Ganesh Kunwari Sarbajanin Durga Puja Committee marked Maha Ashtami by remembering Zubeen Garg. The committee began the day’s puja by paying floral tributes to the late singer, highlighting how his absence has cast a shadow of gloom over the festive season.

Meanwhile, in Kampur, the atmosphere of Maha Ashtami was deeply emotional. A pandal was specially constructed with illuminated portraits of Zubeen Garg, drawing crowds who came to pay their respects. Unlike the usual grandeur, this year’s puja was observed in complete simplicity, without decorative lights or loud music. Only incense, traditional offerings, and the chants of priests filled the mandaps, where every community puja organized tribute events in memory of the departed cultural icon.

The Maha Ashtami celebrations in Assam this year thus became both an act of devotion to Goddess Durga and a collective remembrance of Zubeen Garg, a singer revered as the heartbeat of the Assamese people.

ALSO READ: Jonai Durga Puja Pandal Pays Heartfelt Tribute to Late Singer Zubeen Garg