As the evening sky of Guwahati begins to shimmer with the first glints of Diwali light, a quiet calm rests over the city. The air smells faintly of incense and fresh banana leaves and the familiar sound of firecrackers is softer this year. Assam’s capital is preparing for the festival of lights but with a heart that carries both devotion and grief.
In markets across Ganeshguri and Panbazar, stalls are lined with banana plants, bamboo sticks, and earthen diyas. Vendors call out gently to customers. Their tables glow with rows of little clay lamps.
For generations, banana plants have been the heart of Diwali rituals in Assam. Families place diyas on their leaves as symbols of purity and good fortune.
This year too, the custom continues, though the crowds are smaller. Banana plants, usually sold out days in advance, now rest in neat rows, priced between Rs 150 to 200 each. Diyas and decorations fill the lanes yet the hum of celebration feels softer, more restrained.
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The reason runs deeper than the economy or any busy schedules. It is the collective sorrow that lingers since the loss of Zubeen Garg, Assam’s beloved singer, who tragically passed away in Singapore last month.
Several Kali Puja and Diwali organisers have announced that this year’s festivities will be dedicated to Zubeen Garg. His songs which once echoed through Assam’s streets and homes during every celebration will now play in remembrance.
Garg was supposed to perform at the Northeast India Festival in Singapore on September 20 but he tragically drowned a day earlier. His mortal remains were flown to Delhi and then to Guwahati, where thousands gathered to pay their final respects.
As lamps flicker across the state tonight, they burn not only in worship but also in memory. Every glowing diya, every whispered prayer carries a note of gratitude for the man whose music became the heartbeat of Assam.