GUWAHATI, Nov 6 � The sombre mood in the grief-stricken city was evident for the second successive day today, as the citizens continued to mourn the death of music maestro Dr Bhupen Hazarika who breathed his last in Mumbai yesterday.
The bank of the Dighalipukhuri (Dighalipukhuripaar) which stood transformed into a sacred shrine since last evening witnessed footfalls in large numbers, with people thronging the place to pay their respects to their most beloved cultural icon.
Wreaths of flowers adorned the pedestal of the statue of the singing legend. Candles and earthen lamps lit by the maestro�s fans praying for eternal peace of the departed soul lent a solemn touch to the ambience. Many fans were seen in tears as they paid homage to the maestro.
Among those present at Dighalipukhuripaar was the State�s film and music fraternity including filmmakers Munin Baruah and Munna Ahmed, actresses Chetana Das and Zerifa Wahid, and actor Kapil Bora.
With the maestro�s body yet to reach the State, the citizens have been visiting Dighalipukhuripaar to pay their homage before his statue.
The maestro�s Nizarapar residence, too, drew a large crowd since morning. Preparations were afoot there to receive Dr Hazarika�s body which is to be flown in from Mumbai tomorrow.
Singer Zubeen Garg, who is expected to arrive from Kolkata tomorrow, will visit the Judges� Field where the maestro�s body would be kept for enabling the public to have a glimpse of his mortal remains and pay homage.
A tribute-paying ceremony was held in front of the Dr Bhupen Hazarika memorial museum at the Srimanta Sankardev Kalakshetra. In the evening, people lit earthen lamps and candles, remembering the departed soul.
Many citizens across the city also paid tributes to the music legend by lighting earthen lamps and candles in campuses of their households.
In different market places of the city, music shops paid reverence to the maestro by playing his unforgettable numbers.
Meanwhile, Gauhati High Court Bar Association has condoled the death of Dr Bhupen Hazarika. In a message, the president of the Bar Association has said that the void created by the cultural icon�s death would be difficult to fill.