Fans gather at Zubeen Garg’s memorial ahead of first death anniversary
Fans, artists and admirers assembled at Zubeen Garg's Kamarkuchi memorial ahead of his first death anniversary. The three-day Zubeen Divas observance reflects the continuing public grief and tribute across Assam.
- Sep 18, 2026,
- Updated Sep 18, 2026, 2:29 PM IST
A large number of fans and admirers of legendary Assamese singer-composer Zubeen Garg gathered at his memorial in Kamarkuchi, on the outskirts of Guwahati, on September 18, a day ahead of his first death anniversary.
Fans paid tribute to the singer in different ways, with visitors singing his popular songs, artists sketching and painting his portraits, and admirers bringing hand-woven gamosas featuring lyrics from his songs and other tokens of remembrance.
The first death anniversary of Garg is being observed through a three-day programme titled ‘Zubeen Divas’, being held at his funeral site from September 19. The programme is jointly organised by the state Cultural Department, Kalaguru Artist Foundation, Zubeen Garg Fan Club and other organisations.
On the opening day, Garg’s wife Garima Saikia Garg joined mourners at the memorial, where several programmes, including Naam-prasanga and prayers, were held. Fans also broke into spontaneous renditions of Garg’s songs as they remembered the singer.
Cultural programmes and tribute events continued on the second day, with artists and performers from different parts of Assam arriving at the memorial to pay their respects. Painters gathered at the site to create portraits of Garg as a tribute, while others brought artworks and other memorabilia associated with his music.
Garg died on September 19 last year after drowning while swimming off Lazarus Island in Singapore, a day before he was scheduled to perform at the North East India Festival.
His death subsequently triggered an unprecedented outpouring of grief across Assam. The Assam Police CID’s Special Investigation Team investigated the death and filed a charge sheet before a local court in December, naming seven accused, four of whom face murder charges. The case is being heard by a special fast-track sessions court.
Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma had told the Assam Assembly in November that the death was a case of “plain and simple murder”. However, Singapore Police, which conducted a separate investigation, concluded that there was no evidence of foul play.