Articles by Abdul Gani

Sports

Zubeen Kshetra emerges as cultural pilgrimage for test match visitors

Guwahati, Nov 25: As Guwahati welcomes a wave of fans and journalists for the ongoing Test match, many of the visitors have found them-selves drawn to a place that has quickly taken on the aura of a cultural shrine. Zubeen Kshetra at Sonapur, the memorial site of musician Zubeen Garg, has quietly become one of the most visited spots for those arriving in the city. Among the early visitors was Rupesh Singh, a journalist from New Delhi. He made his way to the site on Thursday and said the experience left a deep impression. Singh grew up in Barak Valley and remembers listening to Zubeen as a child but never imagined the scale of admiration the musician commanded. "I was awestruck while speaking to the cab driver on my way to Guwahati. I could realize that more than a musician, Zubeen was a great human being. That says a lot about why people love him so much," Singh told The Assam Tribune. For weeks now, people from across Assam have been visiting the memorial, often in steady streams, leaving flowers, pausing in silence or simply standing for a moment to take in the feeling of being close to someone they admired. The place has be-gun to take on the character of a pilgrimage, drawing those who seek to connect with the legacy of an artiste whose appeal has spread far beyond the State. That growing recognition has reached many of the visiting journalists as well. Kushan Sarkar, a senior sports journalist, admitted he had not understood the depth of Zubeen's following until he arrived in Guwahati. He recalled listening to a few of Zubeen's Hindi numbers and said 'Hum Khushi Ki Chah Mei' from the movie Life Mei Kabhi Kabhi remained his favourite. He heard the Assamese classic 'Mayabini' only after Zubeen's death. "I was not aware of his cult image. I am truly amazed to see the overflow of love and emotion that people have for him," Sarkar said. He hopes to visit the site once the match concludes. The interest is not limited to those covering cricket. Ramesh Ganguly, a businessman from Kolkata who is in the city for work and spending his Sunday at the ACA Stadium, said he too plans to visit Zubeen Kshetra before returning home. "Some of my friends in Bengal were discussing about visiting Zubeen memorial site. But as I had to come for some work, I decided to visit with my partner. My friends will come in December. Zubeen was also popular in Bengal and we love many of his songs," said Ganguly. For many arriving in Guwahati over the past few days, the Test match has been the primary draw. Yet for an increasing number, the journey feels incomplete without a quiet stop in Sonapur, where the legacy of one of Assam's most beloved sons continues to resonate in the most personal of ways.