Assam and Delhi Pay Tribute to Zubeen Garg on First Death Anniversary
Tributes poured in across India as Assam marked the first death anniversary of cultural icon Zubeen Garg with music, blood donation camps and tree planting.
Assam and the national capital observed the first death anniversary of cultural icon Zubeen Garg on Saturday, with fans, family members, political leaders and artists gathering to honour a legacy that continues to shape the region's artistic identity.
In Guwahati, Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal paid floral tributes at a ceremony and recalled the singer's hold on the public imagination. He said people across the country and the world were uniting to remember Assam's beloved artist, whose songs had won hearts and would not be forgotten. The state unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party organised a blood donation camp in Garg's memory, with its youth wing running the programme across Assam.
The All Assam Students' Union held a tribute programme at Zubeen Khetra in Sonapur, on the outskirts of Guwahati, where members, family and artists sang some of his popular songs. Samujjal Bhattacharya, the union's chief advisor, said a year had passed since the unexpected incident and asserted that Garg must get justice.
In Delhi, the Assam House hosted a floral tribute ceremony where Resident Commissioner Kavitha Padmanabhan, along with officials and employees, paid respects at a portrait of the singer, composer and actor. Reflecting Garg's love for nature, Nahor saplings were planted on the premises, a tree he particularly cherished. Assamese actor Gayatri Mahanta, wife of Union Minister of State for External Affairs Pabitra Margherita, joined the tribute and planted saplings.
A separate Shradhanjali programme at the Assam Information Centre saw Deputy Director Sabir Nishat, officials, employees and journalists from the Press Lounge offer floral tributes. A cultural evening was later organised at the Assam House by Yugasutra, SETU Charitable Trust, the All Assamese Students' Association and the Youth Association of Assam, drawing members of the Assamese community from across Delhi-NCR.
The Assam government's Cultural Affairs Department organised a three-day programme that began on September 17 and concluded on Saturday. Garg died in Singapore on September 19, 2025, a day before he was due to perform at the Northeast India Festival. Known as a singer, composer, musician, actor and filmmaker, he recorded songs in several languages and gained wider fame with "Ya Ali" from the 2006 Hindi film Gangster, while remaining rooted in Assamese music and culture.