Assam Launches Year-Long Centenary Celebrations of Bharat Ratna Dr. Bhupen Hazarika
- By Thetripurapost Desk, Guwahati
- Sep 08, 2025
- 675
Assam on Monday inaugurated the year-long birth centenary celebrations of Bharat Ratna Dr. Bhupen Hazarika, with Governor Laxman Prasad Acharya and Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma leading the tributes to the legendary singer, composer, and cultural icon.
The inaugural ceremony, held at the Dr. Bhupen Hazarika Samannay Kshetra in Guwahati—where the maestro was cremated in November 2011—saw the governor and chief minister offering floral tributes at his memorial. A symbolic flag hoisting by 100 prominent personalities and a musical programme dedicated to Hazarika’s immortal works marked the occasion.
The late icon’s only son, Tez Hazarika, along with his wife and son, arrived from the United States to participate in the commemorations. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to attend the celebrations on September 13 during his Assam visit, underlining the national significance of the centenary.
Chief Minister Sarma described Hazarika as a “global voice of humanity” and “an eternal source of inspiration.” In a social media post, he said, “His love for Assam and Bharat is one to take inspiration from by all. We celebrate the life of a legend who carried Assam to the world through his soulful melodies and made humanity his tune and love his anthem.”
The CM also highlighted the recognition bestowed upon Hazarika by the Centre—posthumously awarding him the Bharat Ratna, renaming Dibrugarh Airport in his honour, and issuing a commemorative coin.
Samar Hazarika, the maestro’s younger brother, lauded the initiative: “This is the first time an Assamese artiste has been honoured in this manner across the nation,” he said, while thanking cultural bodies and NGOs for organising parallel events.
The Bhupen Hazarika Cultural Trust, founded by the maestro himself, hosted programmes at Srimanta Sankardeva Kalakshetra, including musical performances and a ceremonial lamp-lighting before his museum.
Across Assam, district administrations are preparing large-scale cultural tributes. In Nagaon, on September 10, a record-breaking event will feature 15,000 students singing Hazarika’s timeless anthem “Manuhe Manuhor Babe” at Nurul Amin Stadium, with officials from the India Book of Records in attendance.
Born on September 8, 1926, at Sadiya in Tinsukia district, Hazarika—revered as “Sudhakantha” (Bard of the Brahmaputra)—used music as a bridge of humanity, weaving themes of justice, empathy, and brotherhood into compositions that transcended languages and borders.