India bids tearful farewell to maverick musician

India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi gestures to supporters during a public meeting at Mangaldoi in the Darrang district of India’s northeastern state of Assam on September 14, 2025. [AFP]

Tens of thousands of mourners thronged the streets of India's northeastern Assam state on Tuesday to bid farewell to a flamboyant artiste, celebrated as much for his music as for his irreverent persona.

Zubeen Garg, 52, died by drowning in Singapore last week, triggering a massive outpouring of grief among his millions of fans in Assam, where he enjoyed a cult-like status.

"He will be remembered for his rich contribution to music," Prime Minister Narendra Modi said in a condolence message.

"His renditions were very popular among people across all walks of life."

Assam's Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said the state had "lost one of its favourite sons".

"Zubeen's voice had an unmatched ability to energise people and his music spoke directly to our minds and souls," he said in a statement.

"He has left a void that will never be filled."

As news of his death broke, hundreds of thousands of people poured onto the streets across the state, breaking into his popular numbers.

Legions of people also turned up to pay their respects at a stadium complex in Assam's biggest city Guwahati where his embalmed body was kept for two days.

Garg was cremated on Tuesday, with full state honours and accorded a 21-gun salute.

India's parliamentary affairs minister Kiren Rijiju was also in attendance, as a representative of Modi.

Assam has declared four days of state mourning, with Sarma flying to New Delhi to receive the singer's body.

His death brought the state of over 30 million people to a standstill, with businesses shuttering and the government suspending all non-emergency services.

Garg, who rarely ever shied away from speaking his mind, largely eschewed the popular world of Bollywood and chose to sing primarily in Assamese and other local dialects.

He was also a gifted actor, having won several accolades for his performances in Assamese cinema.

He identified himself as an atheist and was a vocal critic of Hinduism's deeply entrenched caste system.

"I don't have any caste, religion or God," he once said, one of his many proclamations rejecting tradition.

Garg is survived by his wife Garima Saikia Garg.