Zubeen Garg’s childhood home in Jorhat mourns his untimely demise

Jorhat, Sept 19: Popular singer Zubeen Garg, whose songs won the love of audiences across Assam, passed away in Singapore after falling critically ill.

He was admitted to a hospital ICU, where he later took his last breath. The sudden news of his demise has left fans across the state and beyond in deep shock, with grief spreading from his hometown Jorhat to every corner of Assam.

In Bongalpukhuri, Jorhat, where Zubeen spent his childhood, neighbors and friends gathered at his family home, struggling to come to terms with the loss. Many fondly recalled his early passion for music, how as a boy he would wrap a cloth around himself, stand near his house, and sing songs for all to hear. “We all loved him since his childhood. There was not a single person here who disliked him,” said a friend of Zubeen’s father.

Zubeen also had a deep love for nature. A pine tree he had planted in front of his childhood home grew tall over the years and became one of his favorite companions.

Locals remembered how he would often talk to the tree as though it were a friend. In a cruel twist of fate, the tree was uprooted in a storm just days ago. Residents say he had promised to plant another pine during his next visit, a wish that will now remain unfulfilled.

“He once told us that when Bongalpukhuri’s puja sthal completes a hundred years, he would return here to be part of the celebration,” recalled a local resident.

His father’s college friend, holding back tears, shared, “He was everyone’s favorite. I still remember scolding him once for singing with a cloth wrapped around himself like a performer. Today, when my son told me of his death, I simply could not believe it.”

The loss of Zubeen Garg, Assam’s beloved heartthrob, has left a void that his hometown, and indeed the entire state, will struggle to fill.