Zubeen Garg's mortal remains brought to Delhi, to reach Guwahati Sunday morning

New Delhi/Guwahati, Sep 20 (PTI) The mortal remains of popular singer Zubeen Garg were brought to the Indira Gandhi International Airport here around Saturday midnight from Singapore, where he died a day earlier while swimming in the sea without a life jacket.

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma received the singer's body at the airport and paid his tribute. He was accompanied by Union Minister of State for External Affairs Pabitra Margherita and senior Assam government officials posted in the national capital.

The chief minister went down on his knees to pay his tribute to the deceased singer, fondly known as the 'Voice of Assam', and placed a traditional gamosa, along with a Bodo Arnai, both traditional scarves, on the coffin that was covered with a black wrapper.

Union Minister Margherita and senior officials of the Assam government paid floral tributes to Garg at the airport. A prayer was also offered by all present at the runway where the coffin was placed on a table covered in white.

They also sang a verse of his popular song ‘Mayabini’.

CM Sarma was seen helping with the transfer of the coffin to the ambulance, which carried the singer to the domestic terminal of the airport. Margherita accompanied the coffin in the ambulance.

In a post on X, Sarma said, "Paid homage to our beloved Zubeen at Delhi airport. To be honest, his demise is yet to sink in -- it all feels like a bad dream. Travel safe, Zubeen! You will live on in each of our hearts - FOREVER." The singer's body was flown in to Delhi on an Air India flight and will be taken to Guwahati by a special aircraft with Margherita accompanying it.

Zubeen's body is expected to reach Guwahati on Sunday morning and then be taken to his residence, where it will be kept for around one-and-a-half hours for his family members, including his 85-year-old ailing father, to pay their last respects.

Later, the body will be shifted to the Arjun Bhogeswar Baruah Sports Complex for public homage from 9 am to 7 pm. Details of the last rites are yet to be finalised, with the state government set to consult the singer's family and different organisations.

The Assam Cabinet will meet on Sunday evening to decide on the cremation venue. PTI DG NSD NSD