Thousands of fans bid adieu to Zubeen at Guwahati stadium
Guwahati (PTI): Draped in a traditional Assamese 'gamosa', Zubeen Garg's mortal remains arrived in a glass casket at the Sarusajai stadium in Guwahati on Sunday afternoon.
It was as if the skies opened up in mourning as rains lashed the area soon after the casket was brought in, after fans had to wait under a scorching sun for hours.
As a sea of people jammed the sports complex, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said the mortal remains would be kept at the stadium throughout the night and also on Monday.
Garg's wife, Garima, who was accompanying the mortal remains, thanked his fans for showering their love.
"Had Zubeen been alive today, he would have been overwhelmed by this show of love. He cannot express himself in words anymore, and on his behalf, I thank each of you," she said, in between tears.
"It was because of this love and blessings that he had received during his lifetime that he could achieve so much within his short span of life," she added.
Garima, a renowned fashion designer herself, said Zubeen wanted all to live in peace and harmony, and the confluence of people of all regions, religions and communities has proven that he was for all.
"His creations will continue to remain with us, especially the youth whom he loved so much," she said, appealing to the fans to pay their homage in a peaceful and disciplined manner.
Family members, ministers and senior government officers led in paying homage to Garg, bowing down, placing flowers and showing their love for the singer-composer.
In a post on X, 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," he added.
Thousands of grieving fans had thronged the venue since morning, while hundreds camped outside it overnight as the administration made elaborate arrangements to receive the body.
Fans, holding aloft cut-outs of the beloved singer, sang his popular numbers through the night, sharing in each other's sorrow.
The mortal remains of Garg, who passed away in Singapore on Friday, have been placed at a pandal inside the sports complex, with an alternate site prepared within the stadium premises in case of heavy rains.
Many people had fainted and taken ill due to the heat in the forenoon.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Mercury plunges in Kashmir after brief respite, Shopian freezes at minus 6.4 deg C
Srinagar (PTI): Night temperatures in Kashmir dropped several degrees below the freezing point, even as a thick layer of fog engulfed parts of the valley, with Srinagar recording a low of minus 4.1 degrees Celsius, officials said on Saturday.
Shopian was the coldest recorded place in Jammu and Kashmir as the mercury there settled at a low of minus 6.4 degrees Celsius, they said.
The mercury had on Thursday night settled above the freezing point at most places in the valley, providing huge relief to the residents from the biting cold conditions.
However, temperatures dropped across Kashmir on Friday night, bringing back the freezing cold, the officials said.
On the Friday night, the minimum temperature in Srinagar -- the summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir -- settled at minus 4.1 degrees Celsius, a sharp drop from 0.4 degrees Celsius the previous night, the officials said.
The gateway town to the valley, Qazigund, recorded a low of minus 4.2 degrees Celsius, while the mercury settled at minus 3.5 degrees Celsius in north Kashmir's Kupwara, and minus 0.2 degrees Celsius in south Kashmir's Kokernag, the officials said.
Pahalgam recorded a low of minus 4.4 degrees Celsius, while Gulmarg lodged minus 2.6 degrees Celsius and Konibal town in Pulwama district recorded minus 5.2 degrees Celsius, they said.
The meteorological department said the weather would remain generally cloudy but dry on December 6-7, and a brief spell of light snowfall at isolated places in the higher reaches of north and central Kashmir is likely on December 8.
