From New Delhi to Guwahati, ‘Mayabini’ echoes like a hymn

Guwahati: From Delhi to Guwahati, that one song resonated among around 38,000 amid tears from Saturday night. CM Himanta Biswa Sarma, joined by ministers, officials, and airport staff, softly sang Zubeen’s personal favourite — Mayabini — in a deeply moving moment at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport at Midnight on Saturday while receiving the mortal remains of Zubeen Garg.

It was more than a song; it was a prayer, a promise, a collective ache. The notes drifted through the cavernous halls of the airport, echoing down corridors, slipping quietly into the night sky, and finding their way to a sleepless Guwahati. In that sacred pause, Zubeen’s voice lived on, not just in memory, but in the very air binding two cities in shared grief and love.

“Mayabini Ratir Bukut” — Zubeen’s legendary ballad and his favourite among over 38,000 of his songs — which he himself wished should be played on his death, rose like a solemn hymn, echoing through the heart of Guwahati. “When I die, only this song (Mayabini Ratir Bukut) is to be played. This song is that important for me, for you, and for everyone,” Zubeen said at B Borooah College in Guwahati in 2019.

The song was written, composed, and sung by Zubeen himself for the Assamese hit film ‘Daag’ released in 2001. The song’s lyrics speak of a soul searching for connection in a world that slips away like mist.

Lyricist, composer, and singer Diganta Bharati, who worked with Zubeen since 1993-94, just about a year after Zubeen began his musical odyssey, said ‘Mayabini’ is a soft rock and the lyrics and the composition have a great power to connect millions of hearts. “Zubeen mesmerised with his voice. The video of the song in the film was also excellent,” he said, adding, the song works as a bridge between hearts and souls.

Besides Mayabini, Zubeen rendered his voice with singer sister Jonkey Borthakur in ‘Botahe Botahe Aahe’ besides singing five other songs with co-singers including Mahalakshmi Iyer. Jonkey tragically passed away in a car accident in 2002. In her memory, Zubeen released the heartfelt album ‘Sisu’, a tribute that speaks volumes of his emotional depth and familial love.


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