Key Points

While speaking to the media, Assam's Education Minister said they are still determining the cremation site for the mortal remains of late singer Zubeen Garg.

However, after the discussions with the singer's family, Minister Ranoj Pegu said that family has requested the cremation to be held near Guwahati.

While speaking to media, Ranoj Pegu said, "Today morning, after the arrival of the singer's mortal remains at home, we discussed with the family to determine their preferences for cremation. There were two options, Jorhat and Guwahati. We discussed the preferred locations in both places. After the discussion, they requested that it would be convenient for them to organise the cremation in the vicinity of Guwahati. We will report this to the Chief Minister of Assam."

According to Ranoj Pegu, the cremation is likely to be held at Kamarkuchi village in Sonapur in Assam. The final decision will be taken after a meeting with CM Himanta Biswa Sarma.

When asked about the potential location for the cremation, Dr Ranoj Pegu said, "It will be held at the National Highway from Guwahati to Jorhat in Komarkusi village, near Sonapur. I cannot tell you the exact date for cremation as it will be discussed with the family." .

Meanwhile, thousands of emotional fans gathered at Arjun Bhogeswar Baruah Sports Complex today to pay their last respects to Assam's popular singer Zubeen Garg, who died in Singapore on Friday.

The mortal remains of the late singer are currently kept at the Bhogesawar Baruah Sports Complex for his fans and well-wishers to pay their tributes before his funeral.

After Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma announced that the singer's remains would be kept at the Arjun Bhogeswar Baruah Sports Complex in Sarusajai, the fans flocked to the venue to pay their last respects.

One of the fans called the singer's demise a "great loss for Assam" while paying his last respects.

"He is one of the celebrities who is evergreen. We don't see such a person coming down the line again. When I was in class 6 or 7, we used to hear his songs. We are going to miss those emotions. It's a great loss for Assam," said one of the fans of the singer while speaking to ANI.

After an unexpected turnout at the venue, CM Himanta Biswa Sarma announced that the Bogeswar Baruah Stadium will remain open throughout Sunday night, which was earlier slated to be till 7 pm.

Taking to his X handle, CM Sarma said, "More and more people wish to see our beloved Zubeen one last time, and we deeply understand these sentiments. Therefore, Bhogeswar Baruah Stadium will remain open throughout the night today for the public to pay their respects to Zubeen. Tomorrow also, the mortal remains of Zubeen will be kept at Sarusajai for people to offer their homage."

Meanwhile, the Assam government has announced a three-day state mourning in the wake of the death of singer Zubeen Garg.

The Assam CMO stated that there will be no official entertainment, ceremonial programs, or public celebrations during this period.

The 52-year-old icon of Assam died in Singapore on Friday after a scuba diving accident. His body was flown to Delhi and later transported to Assam on a commercial flight that landed in Guwahati on Sunday morning.

Known as the cultural icon of Assam, Zubeen Garg was not just a singer but also a composer, music director, actor, and filmmaker. With a career spanning over three decades, he lent his voice to thousands of songs in Assamese, Hindi, Bengali, and several other Indian languages.

- ANI