: Assam has not slept for four nights. From Sadiya to Dhubri, in every marketplace and village square, candles burn beside garlanded portraits of Zubeen Garg — the state’s beloved cultural icon. Mayabini echoed across lanes and courtyards as people sang in unison, their voices trembling but unbroken. Even some madrasas, setting aside tradition, played his songs in tribute.

Zubeen’s passing has bound Assam in collective mourning rarely witnessed in India. Shops remained shuttered, streets fell silent, yet the air was filled with his music — an entire state suspended in grief.

Born Zubeen Borthakur on November 18, 1972, in Tura, Meghalaya, he went on to become one of the most influential voices of Assam and the Northeast. A singer–songwriter, composer, actor, and philanthropist, he created

See Full Page