Prime Minister Narendra Modi will travel to Assam on September 08 to commemorate the birth centenary of Bharat Ratna Bhupen Hazarika, the towering cultural icon whose music transcended generations and geographies.
The celebrations, to be held at the Khanapara Veterinary College playground in Guwahati from 5 p.m., will include the release of a commemorative coin and the unveiling of multilingual biographies of Hazarika, honouring his towering contribution to Indian music, cinema, and regional identity.
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Friday confirmed the Prime Minister’s participation in the state-wide observance, noting that the event will bring together artists, students, and admirers from across the state to pay tribute to one of India’s most revered musicians.
“Those wishing to join the celebrations must apply on the official portal by August 20, after which invitations will be sent to their homes,” Sarma said.
The coin, to be issued by the Government of India, will stand as a symbolic and permanent tribute to Hazarika’s legacy. His multilingual contributions — spanning Assamese, Bengali, and Hindi, earned him acclaim not only in the Northeast but across the subcontinent.
The centenary tribute will also feature a musical homage titled the Grand Chorus, a 23-minute medley of Hazarika’s most loved compositions performed by 1,000 singers, including college students and senior musicians from across Assam.
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According to state officials, approximately 50 individuals from each district of Assam who had been associated with Hazarika’s life or works will be brought to Guwahati for the commemorative event.
Before attending the celebrations, the Prime Minister is scheduled to arrive at the Numaligarh Refinery Limited (NRL) campus in Golaghat district, where he will dedicate to the nation a newly established bio-ethanol plant. Built at an estimated cost of ₹4,200 crore, the facility marks a significant step towards alternative energy goals and industrial development in the region.
The day’s engagements will also take the Prime Minister to Mangaldoi in Darrang district, where he is expected to inaugurate key infrastructure projects, including the Guwahati Ring Road, a new bridge over the Brahmaputra connecting Kuruwa and Narengi, and lay the foundation stone for the Mangaldoi Medical College Hospital.
The centenary of Bhupen Hazarika comes as the nation continues to rediscover and celebrate regional voices that helped shape India’s cultural conscience. Hazarika’s work, steeped in themes of humanity, social justice, and linguistic identity, continues to resonate with audiences long after his passing.
Assam’s government has declared the centenary year as an opportunity to revive and promote Hazarika’s artistic legacy among the youth and newer generations.
Born in Sadiya in 1926, Bhupen Hazarika was a polymath, a singer, poet, composer, filmmaker, and politician, whose songs often reflected the social realities of his time. Known as the ‘Bard of Brahmaputra’, his body of work is both expansive and emotionally resonant, marked by lyrical depth and socio-political commentary.
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