Assam: With Zubeen gone, Diwali, Kali Puja take sombre turn

Guwahati: Wait if you thought that the Diwali spirit is in great fervor in Assam, you need to renege on your perspective.

It’s a sombre moment in Assam in the wake of its favourite icon Zubeen Garg.

As per India Today NE, “Festive excitement in Assam has taken a sombre turn this year as Diwali and Kali Puja celebrations are being dedicated to late singer Zubeen Garg, whose sudden death in Singapore on September 19 left fans across the state in mourning.:

Zubeeen, a legendary singer passed away a day before his scheduled performance at the Northeast India Festival.

Also Read: Assam: Akhil Gogoi urges fans to flood Modi’s Facebook for Zubeen Garg justice

His body was in Guwahati on September 21 from Singapore via Delhi. Since then, tributes and memorial events have continued across the state.

In Guwahati, the Vivekananda Sporting Club at Colony Bazar, Kalapahar, will mark its 61st Kali Puja from October 20 with a Mahadev (Lord Shiva) theme.

The organisers have cancelled cultural programmesdedicating the stage and rituals entirely to Zubeen’s memory.

The Rs 15-lakh pandal will concentrate on solely on devotional observances.

Other organiser including the Dynamo Club in Ulubari and the Kali Puja committee at Pandu toe the same line.

Markets are filled with shoppers buying diyas, rangolis, and decorations, the usual festive cheer feels muted.

In Assam, the glow of lights has a lesser sheen this year — one of respect, reflection, and remembrance for a voice that defined generations.