Guwahati (Assam) [India], April 12 (ANI): The Assam government announced on Saturday that it will hold a year-long celebration to mark the 100th birth anniversary of legendary singer and cultural icon Bhupen Hazarika.

The centenary celebration will begin on September 8 of this year.

To manage the events, a 50-member committee will be formed under the leadership of Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma. All Chief Ministers from the North Eastern states will also be invited to join as patrons of the committee. The inaugural or closing ceremony will be held in Guwahati, with one of the events also expected to be organized in New Delhi. Three separate programs will be held in Arunachal Pradesh, Kolkata, and Mumbai.

In addition, the government is planning to invite the President of India or the Prime Minister to attend the closing ceremony, which will take place on September 8, 2026.

In 2019, Bhupen Hazarika received India's highest civilian award, the Bharat Ratna, from then President Ram Nath Kovind.

The singer, also an acclaimed poet and filmmaker, was born on September 8, 1926, and passed away on November 5, 2011. Hazarika was most popular in West Bengal and Bangladesh and was responsible for introducing the culture and folk music of Assam and Northeast India to Hindi cinema.

Popularly known as Sudhakantha, meaning the nightingale, he received the National Film Award, Padma Shri, Dada Saheb Phalke Award, Padma Vibhushan, and many other prestigious honors.

He was known for his baritone voice and for creating music on themes ranging from romance to social and political commentary. Some of his renowned works in Assamese music, which audiences still enjoy, include Bistirno Parore, Moi Eti Jajabo, Ganga Mor Maa, and Bimurto Mur Nixati Jen. (ANI)