CM Himanta Reviews Bharat Mandapam for Bhupen Hazarika Centenary Closing Ceremony
Synopsis
Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma personally reviewed Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi on September 27 to oversee preparations for the grand closing ceremony of Bharat Ratna Dr. Bhupen Hazarika's centenary celebrations, pledging a tribute befitting the legendary Sudhakantha.
Key Takeaways
CM Himanta Biswa Sarma visited Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi on September 27, 2026 to review centenary closing ceremony preparations.
The closing ceremony honours Dr.
Bhupen Hazarika , legendary Assamese singer and Bharat Ratna awardee (posthumously, 2019 ).
Hazarika , born in 1926 and known as Sudhakantha , was one of India's most celebrated singer-songwriters and filmmakers.
Bharat Mandapam , venue of the 2023 G20 Summit , was selected as the national stage for the centenary's grand finale.
The campaign hashtag #BhupenDaAt100 has united Assamese artists and Northeast cultural communities in the commemoration.
The exact date and programme of the closing ceremony have not yet been publicly announced.
A legend turns one hundred — and Assam wants the farewell to match the man. Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma visited Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi on Sunday, September 27, 2026, to personally review facilities and preparations for the grand closing ceremony of the centenary celebrations of Bharat Ratna Dr. Bhupen Hazarika, the iconic voice known to generations as Sudhakantha — the nectar-throated one.
Why Bharat Mandapam for Sudhakantha's centenary finale
Bharat Mandapam, the sprawling convention centre at Pragati Maidan that hosted world leaders during the 2023 G20 Summit, is no accidental choice. Staging the closing ceremony of a Northeast cultural icon's centenary at India's most prominent national event venue is a deliberate statement — that Dr. Bhupen Hazarika's legacy belongs not to one state but to the entire nation. CM Sarma described the effort as curating 'an unforgettable tribute, one truly befitting the legacy of Sudhakantha.'
The man the ceremony honours: Bhupen Hazarika at 100
Dr. Bhupen Hazarika was born in 1926 in Assam and went on to become one of India's most celebrated singer-songwriters, lyricists, and filmmakers. His music — rooted in the Brahmaputra Valley yet universal in its humanism — crossed every linguistic and regional boundary the subcontinent could draw. He passed away in 2011, and India's highest civilian honour, the Bharat Ratna, was conferred on him posthumously in 2019.
The hashtag #BhupenDaAt100 has anchored the centenary campaign, drawing Assamese artists, Northeast cultural communities, and music lovers across India into a shared commemoration of a voice that never really fell silent.
Northeast heritage at the national centre stage
The decision to hold the closing ceremony in Delhi reflects a broader pattern of successive governments using landmark anniversaries to weave Northeast cultural identity into the national fabric. For CM Sarma — who as NEDA convenor also carries a political mandate for Northeast solidarity — a centenary finale at Bharat Mandapam doubles as cultural diplomacy, elevating Assam's most beloved son to the same platform that once seated G20 heads of state.
The preparations are still being reviewed; the exact scale and programme of the closing ceremony have not been announced. But the chief minister's hands-on inspection signals that Assam intends to make this closing note as resonant as anything Sudhakantha himself ever sang.
Point of View
Whose political identity is inseparable from both Assamese pride and the BJP's Northeast consolidation project, the event carries dual weight — a genuine cultural tribute and a visible assertion of regional influence at the national centre. The posthumous Bharat Ratna for Hazarika in 2019 set this arc in motion; the centenary closing ceremony at Bharat Mandapam is its logical crescendo. Watchers should note whether the central government formally co-hosts the event — that detail will reveal how deeply the tribute has been absorbed into official national commemoration.
NationPress
27 Sept 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Bhupen Hazarika and why is his centenary being celebrated?
Dr. Bhupen Hazarika (1926–2011) was a legendary Assamese singer-songwriter, lyricist and filmmaker, posthumously awarded the Bharat Ratna in 2019 . His centenary in 2026 marks 100 years since his birth and is being celebrated with cultural events across Assam and nationally.
What is the closing ceremony of the Bhupen Hazarika centenary?
The closing ceremony is the grand finale of the year-long centenary celebrations of Dr. Bhupen Hazarika , planned at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi. CM Himanta Biswa Sarma has described it as an 'unforgettable tribute' befitting the legacy of Sudhakantha .
Why is Bharat Mandapam chosen for the Bhupen Hazarika centenary event?
Bharat Mandapam , India's premier national convention centre at Pragati Maidan, New Delhi — known for hosting the 2023 G20 Summit — was chosen to give the centenary tribute a prominent national stage, reflecting Hazarika's all-India cultural significance.
What does Sudhakantha mean in relation to Bhupen Hazarika?
Sudhakantha is an honorary title meaning 'nectar-throated' in Assamese, bestowed on Dr. Bhupen Hazarika in recognition of his melodious voice and extraordinary contribution to music.
What is CM Himanta Biswa Sarma's role in the Bhupen Hazarika centenary?
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma is personally overseeing the centenary celebrations, having visited Bharat Mandapam on September 27, 2026 to review preparations for the closing ceremony and ensure the tribute matches Hazarika's monumental legacy.
