Durga Puja festivities across Assam have taken on a sombre tone this year, overshadowed by the untimely death of beloved singer-composer Zubeen Garg on September 19 in Singapore. Organisers from major puja committees have scaled back elaborate plans, limiting events to essential religious rituals while cancelling cultural programmes, music performances, and community gatherings.

Garg, a cultural icon revered for his contributions to Assamese music, cinema, and social advocacy, drowned while swimming during a visit for the North East India Festival, leaving the state in collective mourning. His passing, confirmed as accidental drowning by Singapore authorities and later scrutinised through a second post-mortem ordered by the Assam government, has prompted widespread tributes and a Special Investigation Team probe amid public suspicions.

Garg, born in 1972 in nearby Meghalaya and raised in Assam, rose to national fame with hits like the Bollywood track "Ya Ali" while championing regional folk fusion and addressing issues like language preservation and insurgency scars. His death at 52 triggered an outpouring of grief, with thousands lining Guwahati streets for his state-honoured cremation on September 23. Puja committees, many with budgets exceeding ₹1 crore, had invested heavily in themes and setups—such as the Geetanagar Durga Puja Committee's Buddhist temple-inspired marquee—before abruptly pivoting.

"Zubeen's sudden demise has shocked the entire state; we had completed 80% of preparations, but celebration feels wrong," said Rajib Kalita, organiser for Geetanagar. Similarly, the Maligaon Kalibari Committee, marking its platinum jubilee, and Guwahati Sarbojanin in Latasil opted for subdued observances, adorning pandals with Garg's photographs and looping his soulful tracks as tributes.

The emotional ripple extends to devotees and youth, who view the festival through a lens of loss. Schoolteacher Anindita Bhattacharya, offering prayers on Maha Ashtami at Chandmari Durga Temple, shared, "The goddess visits once a year, so I've come for pushpanjali, but Zubeen's vacuum makes joy impossible." College student Tridisha Goswami echoed the sentiment, forgoing new clothes—a Puja tradition—for the first time: "This is the first Durga Puja without new attire, all because of Zubeen da's news," she said tearfully.

Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, who visited pandals since Monday, announced a ₹10,000 grant to each of 7,817 committees to sustain rituals despite the grief, emphasising cultural continuity.

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As Assam navigates this bittersweet Pujo—typically a vibrant showcase of art, food, and unity—the subdued mood underscores Garg's profound imprint. From defending marginalised voices during the 1990s ULFA unrest to blending Assamese-Bengali-Hindi sounds, he embodied resilience.

With investigations ongoing and murals honouring him dotting Guwahati, the state honours its "rockstar" by tempering revelry with reflection, ensuring his legacy endures beyond the pandals.

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