Zubeen Da’s Final Journey: A Timeline of Tears, Tributes, and Togetherness

Assam's heartthrob Zubeen Garg's sudden demise has left the state at a standstill, and people are still mourning the legend's death and are in disbelief.

The legendary singer, who struck a chord with an entire generation, created melodies that travelled through every neighbourhood.

Zubeen's sudden death had paralysed Assam. Normal life froze, shops closed, services stopped, and crowds poured into the streets. The grief was not merely of losing an artist but also a cultural icon who took Assam to the globe.

A City Comes to a Halt

On 21st September, Sunday, thousands of people lined the Guwahati to Kahilipara route, where Zubeen's residence lies.
He was in Singapore to perform in the Northeast Festival, where he died under mysterious circumstances.

The body had arrived the previous night from Singapore.

From Lokpriya Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport, his mortal remains were taken to Kahilipara in a flower-decked ambulance. The ambulance crawled slowly towards the city, and it took nearly five hours to reach his residence because of the sheer volume of people who were part of the procession.

It was kept in Kahilipara for about one hour before being taken to Arjun Bhogeswar Baruah Sports Complex, also known as Sarusajai, for fans and admirers to pay their tribute. People paid their tribute until Monday midnight.

Elderly citizens, women, children, young men and women, people of all ages came to pay their tribute to the legend.
They showered flowers, prayed, chanted his name, and recited his famous song "Mayabini."

Everyone became united as Zubeen's admirers, which itself proves how deeply people loved him.

In every few steps, in front of almost every stop, people lit diyas and paid their tribute to him. They had even organised small booths on their own where others could come and pay their respects.

Every balcony, every terrace along the highway was occupied.

As the convoy entered his residence, a cordon was created to allow the family private time with Zubeen. Inside, the coffin was opened, and the singer's body, draped in Assamese Gamosa, was placed in a glass casket.

A Public Shutdown

The mourning was not only confined to the streets.
Guwahati observed a black day as shops, institutions, and restaurants shut down, and normal life came to a halt.
Fans sang his songs and shouted "Jai Zubeen Da" as they walked in the rally in memory of Zubeen. Many carried cutouts and lit candles in every corner of the state.
Many vendors and shopkeepers were forced to shut down because the general public’s emotions ran so high that they didn’t consider anything else.

Public Outrage

Regarding his death, many suspicions arose due to the circumstances. As controversies erupted, many fans showed their anger, demanding justice and protesting against the improper investigation.
Organisations and individuals submitted FIRs regarding the matter.

On the other hand, people from Jorhat demanded that his crematorium be in Jorhat, but Zubeen's family insisted it be in Kamarkuchi, which made the people of Jorhat even more outraged.

On Monday night, in Jorhat, protesters blocked roads, forced shops and businesses to shut, and attacked several vehicles, severely disrupting traffic and angering local residents.
The situation was eventually brought under control when police intervened and used a lathi charge to disperse the unruly crowd.

Even at the crematorium in Kamarkuchi, a small section of people behaved recklessly, seemingly intent on creating chaos during the artist’s final journey. Some climbed rooftops and shouted loudly, while others tore down Zubeen Garg’s banners, turning the solemn occasion into a scene of disorder.

Even the police struggled to control the situation. Despite multiple attempts at a lathi charge, the unruly crowd dispersed only temporarily. Many disregarded the extensive arrangements and barricades set up by the administration for Zubeen Garg’s last journey, causing damage and disrupting the meticulously planned tribute.

Zubeen was cremated with full state honours.
His body was cremated by his sister, Palmee Borthakur and three others.

After the cremation today, General Secretary of the Assam Association Delhi, Sushubhan Talukdar, announced that arrangements have been made to carry the late singer's ashes to Delhi. The ashes will be placed at the Srimanta Sankaradev Bhavan in Delhi.

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