The Assam government has made an elaborate arrangement to pay last respect to music maestro Bhupen Hazarika, who breathed his last in a Mumbai hospital on Saturday. Assam inspector-general of the police G.P. Singh, who is looking after the arrangement with state administration, told reporters that the body of Hazarika will be brought to Guwahati from Mumbai by a Jet Airways flight on Monday.
The funeral will be held on Tuesday. From the airport, the body of the music legend will be first taken to his ancestral home at Nizarapara in Guwahati and then to the Judges Field for his fans and well-wishers to pay their tributes. Though, venue of funeral has not been decided, the family members are planning to perform funeral at Cachal in Guwahati, a plot of land housing Bhupen Hazarika Trust built by him. Mr Singh, who is also making arrangement to control the massive turnout expected from all over north-eastern states, said, “The body of the maestro will be brought from his ancestral home to judges filed where it would be kept in an air-conditioned cubical for public viewing till Tuesday.”
Elaborate security and traffic arrangements are being made with the officials expecting a massive turnout of people during the next two days. “We are making all arrangements to ensure a smooth funeral,” said Mr Singh. The demise of music maestro has made the state’s people emotional as all across the state people are holding prayer meetings and paying tributes to the legendary Hazarika. His fans and well-wishers across Assam have come out in the streets singing his popular songs and holding street corner prayer meetings by lighting earthen lamps.