The Assam government on Monday organised a grand celebration to mark the 100th birth anniversary of Bharat Ratna awardee Dr Bhupen Hazarika, with a series of events held on September 8 and 13.
The commemorations paid tribute to the legendary maestro, whose voice and music made him a global cultural icon.
The main program took place at Dr Bhupen Hazarika's Samadhi Kshetra in Jalukbari, Guwahati, where people from all walks of life gathered.
Across the state, various organisations also observed the centenary.
Referred to as the 'Bard of Brahmaputa', Bhupen Hazarika was a singer, lyricist and musician from Assam.
The celebration was attended by Assam Governor Lakshman Prasad Acharya, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, Bhupen Hazarika's son Tez Hazarika, his brother Samar Hazarika, state ministers, MLAs, singers, students and fans.
Himanta Biswa Sarma expressed gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for leading the nation in paying tribute to Dr Hazarika.
"Today, the Prime Minister has led the entire nation in offering tribute to Dr. Bhupen Hazarika. He also wrote a very nice and relevant article about him. I offer my deep gratitude to the Hon'ble Prime Minister," Sarma said.
The CM announced that Assam, in collaboration with its people, will celebrate Hazarika's centenary year through year-long programs. On September 13, Prime Minister Modi will join a special tribute event in Assam, where he will also unveil a commemorative coin prepared by the Reserve Bank of India.
The government also plans to organise events in Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, West Bengal and Mumbai.
A biography of Hazarika, written by Dr Anuradha Sharma Pujari, will be translated into major Indian languages and distributed to libraries nationwide.
The centenary celebrations will conclude with a grand closing ceremony in New Delhi on September 8, 2026, to be graced by the President of India.
Artists Pay Tribute
Singer Sadananda Gogoi, recalling his bond with the maestro, said, "I worked with Bhupen from 1982 to 1985. The song Swahid Pranamu Tuma was written for me, and I first recorded it with his blessings. As a student of Dr. Hazarika, I always try to uphold his legacy of music, humanity, nationalism, and love for nature."
Bhupen Hazarika's brother, singer Samar Hazarika, expressed gratitude to the Assam government, "I am very happy that the government has taken the initiative to celebrate the birth centenary of Gopenda with such grandeur. Many thanks to them for organising this."
Singer Mausumi Saharia also shared her emotions, "I feel honoured and privileged to have worked with Bhupenda. Today, his 100th birth anniversary is being celebrated not only in Assam but across India. I hope to carry forward his sincerity and the purity of his songs."
About Bhupen Hazarika
Bhupen Hazarika made his singing debut at the age of 12 in 1939. In addition to Assamese, Bhupen Hazarika also composed, wrote and sang for numerous Bengali and Hindi films from the 1930s to the 1990s. He was also one of the leading author-poets of Assam with more than 1,000 lyrics and several short stories, essays and travelogues to his credit.
He studied at Columbia University and also received a fellowship to study cinema in Chicago. During his stay in the US, he met the legendary African-American singer Paul Robeson, whose famous number Ol Man River was an inspiration for his O Ganga Behti Ho Kyun (in Hindi), a virtual anthem for generations of Left activists.
He received the National Award for Best Music Director in 1976 for Chameli Memsaab and the President's medal for his films Shakuntala (1960), Pratidhwani (1964) and Lotighoti (1967).
He had joined the BJP ahead of the 2004 Lok Sabha elections, impressed by the performance of the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government. He had also been an independent member of the Assam Assembly. He was also awarded the Padma Vibhushan, the country's second-highest civilian honour, in 2012. He died in November 2011 at the age of 85.