Thousands pay last respects to Bhupen Hazarika

Thousands of people paid their last respect to cultural icon Bhupen Hazarika as the truck carrying his mortal remains took the legendary singer on his last journey home in Guwahati after being brought from Mumbai on Monday.

The 86-year-old singer-composer died on Saturday in Mumbai following multiple-organ failure. Filmmaker Kalpana Lajmi, Hazarika's companion for nearly 40 years, sister-in-law Manisha Hazarika, nephews and other family members accompanied the music legend on his last journey home in Assam.

A sea of humanity lined all along the 25km route from the airport to Hazarika's residence at Nizarapar area with people showering flower petals, offering wreaths and the traditional Assamese 'gamosa' (a piece of cloth used for bath) on the cortege carrying the gilt-edge brown casket.

Songs of the music maestro played along the entire route with the administration putting up public address system all over the city.

Portraits of Hazarika lined the entire stretch as the truck from Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport took nearly six hours to reach his house.

A disciplined and organised crowd chanted 'Bhupenda amaar majot hodai amar thakibo' (Bhupenda will be always immortal for us), 'Bhupendar bina Asomor naksa no hai' (There can be no map of Assam without Bhupenda) among other eulogies.

Hazarika’s funeral will be held today.