Muted Durga Puja celebrations in Assam in wake of Zubeen Garg's death

Guwahati, Sep 30 (PTI) Durga Puja festivities in Assam have been subdued following the demise of popular singer-composer Zubeen Garg, with most organisers contending that they were just conducting the rituals, but have cancelled all scheduled cultural programmes.

The death of Zubeen is so recent and ''we did not want to celebrate the festival at all, but the annual rituals related to Durga Puja are important for us, so we are just observing those'', officials of several puja committees told PTI.

''Zubeen Garg's sudden death has shocked the entire state. We had already started making arrangements for the festivities, and almost 80 percent of the work was completed,'' the organiser of Geetanagar Durga Puja Committee, Rajib Kalita, said.

It had a budget of Rs 1 crore, and the marquee was designed on the theme of a Buddhist temple.

The Maligaon Kalibari Durga Puja Committee, celebrating its platinum jubilee this year, had made grand plans, too, for the occasion, but once the news of the singer came in, they decided to make the festivities low-key, cancelling all scheduled cultural programmes for the four days.

The organisers of the Guwahati Sarbojanin Durga Puja in Latasil said they were conducting only the rituals related to the festivities.

Pictures of the singer-composer, who died in Singapore on September 19, can be seen in all the pandals, and his songs are being played as a mark of tribute.

School teacher Aninidita Bhattacharya, who came to offer ‘pushpanjali’ at the Chandmari Durga temple on ‘Maha Ashtami’, said the goddess visits us only once a year, so I have come to offer my prayers, but “Zubeen's death has created a vacuum in our lives and we don't want to be a part of any celebration”.

College student Tridisha Goswami said she did not buy any new clothes this Durga Puja after the “news of Zubeen da’s death”.

“This is the first Durga Puja when I have not bought any new clothes,'' she said in a choked voice.

Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has been visiting puja pandals in and around Guwahati since Monday, and offering prayers.

The Assam government has extended a financial grant of Rs 10,000 each to 7,817 Durga Puja Committees to enable the festival to be celebrated in a befitting manner. PTI DG RBT