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The culture of Assam (Assamese: অসমীয়া লোক-সংস্কৃতি) is traditionally a hybrid one, developed due to cultural assimilation of different ethno-cultural groups under various politico-economic systems in different periods of history.

The roots of the culture go back to almost two thousand years when the first cultural assimilation took place with Austro-Asiatic and Tibeto-Burman as the major components. With reference from the great epics Mahabharata and on the basis of the local folk lore it is also hypothised that there was probably a strong kingdom of these mixed population (of Austro-Asiatic and Tibeto-Burman origin) in the era before Jesus Christ, which led to an early assimilation at a greater scale. Typical naming of the rivers and spatial distribution of related ethno-cultural groups also support that. Thereafter, western migrations such as those of various branches of Mediterraneans, Inrano-skythians and Nordics along with (or in the form of) the mixed northern Indians (the ancient cultural mix already present in northern Indian states such as Magadha) have enriched the aboriginal culture and under certain stronger politico-economic systems, Sanskritisation and Hinduisation intensified and became prominent. Such an assimilated culture therefore carries many elements of source cultures, of which exact roots are difficult to trace and are matter of research. However, in each of the elements of Assamese culture, i.e. language, traditional crafts, performing arts, festivity and beliefs either local elements or the local elements in a Hinduised / Sanskritised forms are always present.

It is believed that under the great dynasties of Pragjyotisha-Kamrupa (Varman dynasty for 300 years, Xalostombho dynasty for 200 years and the Pala dynasty for another 200 years) during the first millennium AD, Assamese culture in its original form got developed. The records of many aspects of the language, traditional crafts (silk, lac, gold, bronze, etc), etc are available in different forms. When the Tai-Shans entered the region in 1228 under the leadership of Sukaphaa to form one of the strongest politico-economic systems (Ahom kingdom) in Assam for the next 600 years, again a new chapter of cultural assimilation was written. The original Tai-Shans assimilated with the local culture, adopted the language on one hand and on the other also influenced the main-stream culture with the elements from their own. Similarly the Koch kingdom in the western Assam and the medieval Kachari kingdoms (Kocary) and Jaintia kingdoms in the southern Assam provided stages for assimilation at different intensities and with different cultural-mix.

Vaishanav Movement, the 15th century religio-cultural movement under the leadership of great Srimanta Sankardeva (Xonkordeu) and his disciples have provided another dimension to Assamese culture. A renewed Hinduisation in local forms took place, which was initially greatly supported by the Koch and later by the Ahom Kingdoms. The resultant social institutions such as namghar and sattra (the Vaishnav Monasteries) have become part of Assamese way life. The movement contributed greatly towards language, literature and performing and fine arts. It is also noticed that many a times, Vaishnav Movement attempted to introduce alien cultural attributes and modify the way of life of common people. Brajavali a language specially created by introducing words from other Indian languages had failed as a language but left its traces on the Assamese language. Moreover, new alien rules were also introduced changing people's food habits and other aspects of cultural life. This had a greater impact on alienation of many local ethno-cultural and political groups in the later periods.

Historically, it is not difficult to understand that on one hand, during the strong politico-economic systems under stronger dynasties, greater cultural assimilations created common attributes of Assamese culture, while on the other during smaller politico-economic systems or during political disintegration, more localised attributes were created with spatial differentiation. Time-factor for such integrations and differentiations has also played extremely important role along with the position of individual events in the entire series of sequential events.

With a strong base of tradition and history, the modern Assamese culture is greatly influenced by various events those took place in the British Assam and in the Post-British Era. The language was standardised by the American Missionaries with the form available in the Sibsagar (Xiwoxagor) District (the nerve centre of the Ahom politico-economic system). A renewed Sanskritisation was increasingly adopted for developing Assamese language and grammar. A new wave of Western and northern Indian influence was apparent in the performing arts and literature.

Due to increasing efforts of standardisation in the 19th and 20th century, the localised forms present in different districts and also among the remaining source-cultures with the less-assimilated ethno-cultural groups have seen greater alienation. However, Assamese culture in its hybrid form and nature is one of the richest and is still under development.

Composition and characteristics[link]

Assamese culture in its true sense today is a 'cultural system' composed of different sub-systems. It is more interesting to note that even many of the source-cultures of Assamese culture are still surviving either as sub-systems or as sister entities. In broader sense, therefore, the Assamese cultural system incorporates its source-cultures. However, it is also important to keep the broader system closer to its roots.

Some of the common cultural traits available across these systems are:

Respect towards areca-nut and betel leaves

Respect towards particular symbolic cloth types such as Gamosa, Arnai, etc

Respect towards traditional silk and cotton garments

Respect towards forefathers and elderly

Great hospitality

Bamboo culture

Elements[link]

Symbolism[link]

Symbolism is an important part of Assamese culture. Various elements are being used to represent beliefs, feelings, pride, identity, etc. Symbolism is an ancient cultural practice in Assam, which is still very important for the people. Tamulpan, Xorai and Gamosa are three important symbolic elements in Assamese culture.

Tamulpan (the areca nut and betel leaves) or guapan (gua from kwa) are considered as the offers of devotion, respect and friendship. It is an ancient tradition and is being followed since time-immemorial with roots in the aboriginal Austro-Asiatic culture.

Xorai, a traditional symbol of Assam, is a manufactured bell-metal object and an article of great respect and is used as a container-medium while performing respectful offerings. It is an offering tray with a stand at the bottom. There are xorais with or without a cover on the top. Traditionally xorais were made of bell metal although nowadays they can be made from brass and/or silver. Hajo and Sarthebari are the most important centres of traditional bell-metal and brass crafts including xorais. Xorais are used:

as an offering tray for tamul-pan(betel nuts and betel leaves) to guests as a sign of welcome and thanks.

as an offering tray for food and other items placed in front of the altar(naamghar)for blessing by the Lord.

as a decorative symbol in traditional functions such as during Bihu dances.

as a gift to a person of honour during felicitations.

The Gamosa is an article of great significance for the people of Assam. Literally translated, it means 'something to wipe the body with' (Ga=body, mosa=to wipe); interpreting the word “gamosa” as the body-wiping towel is misleading. It is generally a white rectangular piece of cloth with primarily a red border on three sides and red woven motifs on the fourth (in addition to red, other colors are also used). Though it is used daily to wipe the body after a bath (an act of purification), the use is not restricted to this. It is used by the farmer as a waistcloth (tongali) or a loincloth (suriya); a Bihu dancer wraps it around the head with a fluffy knot. It is hung around the neck at the prayer hall and was thrown over the shoulder in the past to signify social status. Guests are welcomed with the offering of a gamosa and tamul (betel nut) and elders are offered gamosas (bihuwaan) during Bihu. It is used to cover the altar at the prayer hall or cover the scriptures. An object of reverence is never placed on the bare ground, but always on a gamosa. One can therefore, very well say, that the gamosa symbolizes the life and culture of Assam.

The word gamosa is derived from the Kamrupi word gaamasa (gaama+chadar), the cloth used to cover the Bhagavad Purana at the altar.

Significantly the gamosa is used equally by all irrespective of religious and ethnic backgrounds.

At par with Gamosa, there are beautifully woven symbolic clothes with attractive graphic designs being used by different cultural sub-systems and ethno-cultural groups as well.

There were various other traditional symbolic elements and designs in use, which are now found only in literature, art, sculpture, architecture, etc or used for only religious purposes (in particular occasions). The typical designs of assamese-lion, dragon, flying-lion, etc were used for symbolising various purposes and occasions.

Festivals[link]

There are several important traditional festivals in Assam. Bihu is the most celebrated festival among all. Traditional festivals are celebrated every year around different corners of assam.

A Bihu dancer with a horn

Bihu is a series of three prominent festivals of Assam. Primarily a festival celebrated to mark the seasons and the significant points of a cultivator's life over a yearly cycle, in recent times the form and nature of celebration has changed with the growth of urban centers. A non-religious festival, all communities---religious or ethnic---take part in it. Three Bihus are celebrated: rongali, celebrated with the coming of spring and the beginning of the sowing season; kongali, the barren bihu when the fields are lush but the barns are empty; and the bhogali, the thanksgiving when the crops have been harvested and the barns are full. Rongali, kongali & bhogali bihu are also known as 'bohag bihu', 'kati bihu' & 'magh bihu' respectively. The day before the each bihu is known as 'uruka'. There are unique features of each bihu. The first day of 'rongali bihu' is called 'Goru bihu' (the bihu of the cows). On this day the cows are taken to the nearby rivers or ponds to be bathed with special care. Traditionally, cows are respected as sacred animals by the people of Assam. Bihu songs and Bihu dance are associated to rongali bihu.

Music[link]

An Assamese woman in Pat Silk performing Sattriya dance.

Assam, being the home to many ethnic groups and different cultures, is rich in folk music. The indigenous folk music has in turn influenced the growth of a modern idiom, that finds expression in the music of such artists are Jyoti Prasad Agarwala, Bishnuprasad Rabha, Bhupen Hazarika, Nirmalendu Choudhury & Utpalendu Choudhury, Pratima Barua Pandey, Luit Konwar Rudra Baruah, Parvati Prasad Baruva, Jayanta Hazarika, Khagen Mahanta. And among the new generation Zubeen Garg, Angaraag Mahanta, Joi Barua and Jitul Sonowal are wellknown.

And other than traditional assamese music assam's capital city Guwahati have become country's capital for rock music other than Shillong. A number of talented rock bands have formed showcasing their talents around the world.

Traditional crafts[link]

Assam has maintained a rich tradition of various traditional crafts for more than two thousand years. Presently, Cane and bamboo craft, bell metal and brass craft, silk and cotton weaving, toy and mask making, pottery and terracotta work, wood craft, jewellery making, musical instruments making, etc are remained as major traditions. Historically, Assam also excelled in making boats, traditional guns and gunpowder, colours and paints, articles of lac, traditional building materials, utilities from iron, etc.

Cane and bamboo craft provide the most commonly used utilities in daily life, ranging from household utilities, weaving accessories, fishing accessories, furniture, musical instruments to building construction materials. Traditional utilities and symbolic articles made from bell metal and brass are found in every Assamese household. The Xorai and bota have been in use for centuries to offer gifts to respected persons and are two prominent symbolic elements. Hajo and Sarthebari / Xorthebaary are the most important centres of traditional bell-metal and brass crafts. Assam is the home of several types of silks, the most prominent and prestigious being Muga, the natural golden silk is exclusive only to Assam. Apart from Muga, there are other two varieties called Pat, a creamy-bright-silver coloured silk and Eri, a variety used for manufacturing warm clothes for winter. Apart from Sualkuchi / Xualkuchi, the centre for the traditional silk industry, in almost every parts of the Brahmaputra Valley, rural households produce silk and silk garments with excellent embroidery designs. Moreover, various ethno-cultural groups in Assam make different types of cotton garments with unique embroidery designs and wonderful colour combinations.

Moreover, Assam possesses unique crafts of toy and mask making mostly concentrated in the Vaishnav Monasteries, pottery and terracotta work in lower Assam districts and wood craft, iron craft, jewellery, etc in many places across the region.

List of Assamese traditional jewellery[link]

• Dugdugi
• Kerumoni
• Thuriya
• Gaam Kharu
• Muthi Kharu
• Jonbiri
• Dholbiri
• Lukaparo

Paintings[link]

Painting is an ancient tradition of Assam. The ancient practices can be known from the accounts of the Chinese traveller Xuanzang (7th century CE). The account mentions that Bhaskaravarma, the king of Kamarupa has gifted several items to Harshavardhana, the king of Magadha including paintings and painted objects, some of which were on Assamese silk. Many of the manuscripts available from the Middle Ages bear excellent examples of traditional paintings. The most famous of such medieval works are available in the Hastividyarnava (A Treatise on Elephants), theChitra Bhagawata and in the Gita Govinda. The medieval painters used locally manufactured painting materials such as the colours of hangool and haital. The medieval Assamese literature also refers to chitrakars and patuas. Traditional Assamese paintings have been influenced by the motifs and designs in the medieval works such as the Chitra Bhagawata.

There are several renowned contemporary painters in Assam. The Guwahati Art College in Guwahati is the only government institution for tertiary education. Several art-societies and non-government initiatives exist across the state and the Guwahati Artists Guild is a front-runner organisation based in Guwahati along with the Guwahati art college. There is a Department of Fine Arts in Assam University Silchar,a central government organization, and its thrust area concentrates on the art and craft of north east India with special reference to Assam

See also[link]

• List of Ancient games of Assam

External links[link]

• Official website

Mahalakshmi Iyer (Hindi: महालक्ष्मी अय्यर, also Mahalaxmi Iyer) is an Indian playback singer, best known for her Hindi and Tamil songs. She has sung over a thousand songs in many Indian languages, including Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Marathi, Bengali, Gujarati, Assamese, Kannada and Malayalam.^[1]

Career[link]

Mahalakshmi made her singing debut with Dus, which was Shankar–Ehsaan–Loy's debut as music directors in 1997, though the album released only in 1999. Later, she went on to work frequently with them. She then sang the track Ae Ajnabee with Udit Narayan for A. R. Rahman in Mani Ratnam's Dil Se.. (1998).

Since then she has sung over thousand songs in films, serials, jingles and original albums.^[2] She was part of several successful soundtracks such as Mission Kashmir, Yaadein and Saathiya and worked with some of the biggest music composers like A. R. Rahman, Shankar–Ehsaan–Loy Anu Malik, Jatin-Lalit and more.

She has also sung for all of Yash Raj Films' biggest hits like Dhoom 2, Bunty Aur Babli, Salaam Namaste and Fanaa and most recent successful albums like Ta Ra Rum Pum and Jhoom Barabar Jhoom.

She was known for her performances in songs like "Kabhi Sham Dhale" from Sur – The Melody of Life (2002), "Har Taraf" from Rishtey (2002) and for hit songs like "Chup Chup Ke" from Bunty Aur Babli (2005), "Aaj Ki Raat" from Don: The Chase Begins Again (2006) and "Bol Na Halke Halke" from Jhoom Barabar Jhoom.

She also sang on the Academy Award winning song "Jai Ho" for A. R. Rahman in the film Slumdog Millionaire (2008). Specifically, she sang the Urdu words between the short "Jai Ho" chants, as well as portions of the verses (most of which were sung by Sukhwinder Singh).^[3]

She has also rendered her voice to many private album remixes notably Aaja Piya Tohe Pyar and Baahon Mein Chali Aao, which was originally rendered by the legendary Lata Mangeshkar. Mahalakshmi has also recorded hundreds of commercial advertisements on television.

She went to National Institute of Foundry & Forge Technology in 2011 and performed in their cultural fest JINKS'11 and whole of the Ranchi crowd were mesmerised by her great performance.

Personal life[link]

Mahalakshmi comes from a musical family. Her mother is a Carnatic classical singer. She began learning Hindustani music at an early age as did her three sisters, Kalpana, Padmini and Shobha. Iyer grew up in Mumbai and is a graduate of St. Xavier's College, Mumbai, where she took up classes in Urdu to perfect her pronunciation .^[2]

Television singer[link]

Notable filmography[link]

Year	Song	Film	Language	Music director	Co-singer(s)
1997	"Suno Gaur Se Duniya Walo (Hindustani)"	Dus	Hindi	Shankar–Ehsaan–Loy	Udit Narayan, Shankar Mahadevan, Dominique Cerejo
1998	"Ae Ajnabee"	Dil Se..	Hindi	A. R. Rahman	Udit Narayan
1999	"Velli Malare"	Jodi	Tamil	A. R. Rahman	S. P. Balasubramanyam
	"Vanna Poonga"	Jodi	Tamil	A. R. Rahman	S. P. Balasubramanyam
	"Kurukku Siruthhavale"	Mudhalvan	Tamil	A. R. Rahman	Hariharan
2000	"So Jaa Chandaa"	Mission Kashmir	Hindi	Loy Mendonsa	Solo
	"Yaaro Yaarodi"	Alaipayuthey	Tamil	A. R. Rahman	Richa Sharma, Vaishali[disambiguation needed ]
	"Kandukonden Kandukonden"	Kandukondain Kandukondain	Tamil	A. R. Rahman	Hariharan
	"Ennavo Ennavo"	Priyamanavale	Tamil	S. A. Rajkumar	Hariharan
2001	"Hasde Hasde"	Abhay	Hindi	Shankar–Ehsaan–Loy	Kamal Haasan
	"Poove Vai Pesum"	12B	Tamil	Harris Jayaraj	Harish Raghavendra
	"Mutham Mutham"	12B	Tamil	Harris Jayaraj	KK
	"Siri Siri"	Aalavandhan	Tamil	Shankar–Ehsaan–Loy	Kamal Haasan
	"Yaadein Yaad Aati Hai"	Yaadein	Hindi	Anu Malik	Sunidhi Chauhan
	"Malai Kattru Vandhu"	Vedham	Tamil	Vidhyasagar	Hariharan
2002	"Har Taraf Tu Hi"	Rishtey	Hindi	Sanjeev Darshan	Shaan
	"Daayi Daayi Dhamma"	Indra	Telugu	Mani Sharma	K.K
	"Chalka Chalka Re"	Saathiya	Hindi	A. R. Rahman	Richa Sharma, Vaishali[disambiguation needed ]
	"Kabhie Sham Dhale"	Sur – The Melody of Life	Hindi	M. M. Kreem	Solo
	"Oohh Yeah"	Yeh Kya Ho Raha Hai?	Hindi	Shankar–Ehsaan–Loy	KK
	"Ghatothkacha Kalaadhara"	Pammal K. Sambandam	Tamil	Deva	Srinivas
2003	"Aao Milke Gaayein"	Armaan	Hindi	Shankar–Ehsaan–Loy	Udit Narayan, Amitabh Bachchan, Shankar Mahadevan
	"Okkasari Pilichavante"	Chantigadu	Telugu	Vandemataram Srinivas	Udit Narayan
	"Main Gaaon"	Armaan	Hindi	Shankar–Ehsaan–Loy	Udit Narayan, Shaan
	"Nenjam Oru Murai"	Vaseegara	Tamil	S. A. Rajkumar	Srinivas
	"ABBG"	Kuch Naa Kaho	Hindi	Shankar–Ehsaan–Loy	Udit Narayan
	"Baat Meri Suniye"	Kuch Naa Kaho	Hindi	Shankar–Ehsaan–Loy	Shankar Mahadevan
2004	"Yeh Dhuaan"	Charas	Hindi	Raju Singh	Solo
	"Aakasam sakshi ga"	Adavi Ramudu	Telugu	Mani Sharma	Sonu Nigam
	"Athi Methani"	Balu ABCDEFG	Telugu	Mani Sharma	Ranjith
	"Pyar Mein Sau Uljhane"	Kyun! Ho Gaya Na...	Hindi	Shankar–Ehsaan–Loy	Shankar Mahadevan, Vijay Prakash
	"Ishq Khudai"	Rudraksh	Hindi	Shankar–Ehsaan–Loy	Krishna, Shankar Mahadevan, Shweta Pandit
2005	"Chup Chup Ke"	Bunty Aur Babli	Hindi	Shankar–Ehsaan–Loy	Sonu Nigam
	"Thadava Thadava"	Style	Telugu	Mani Sharma	Karthik
	"Aakashaveedilo"	Orey Pandu	Telugu	Anand Raj Anand	Sonu Nigam
	"Chandamama"	Athadu	Telugu	Mani Sharma	Ranjith
	"Mudoche Kopalu"	Narasimhudu	Telugu	Mani Sharma	Karthik
	"Tu Jahaan"	Salaam Namaste	Hindi	Vishal-Shekhar	Sonu Nigam
	"Neredu Pallu"	Subash Chandra Bose	Telugu	Mani Sharma	Hariharan
	"Jaaniya Ve"	Dus	Hindi	Vishal-Shekhar	Hariharan
	"Ee Nanna Kannaane"	Abhi	Kannada	Gurukiran	Udit Narayan
	"Dil Ke Arma Tarse"	Aanch	Hindi	Sanjeev Darshan	Sonu Nigam
	"Thumbs Up Thunder"	Jai Chiranjeeva	Telugu	Mani Sharma	Nihar
	"Koi Aisa Alam"	Karam	Hindi	Vishal-Shekhar	Sonu Nigam
2006	"Uyirilae"	Vettaiyaadu Vilaiyaadu	Tamil	Harris Jayaraj	Srinivas
	"Choododdhu"	Pokiri	Telugu	Mani Sharma	Karthik
	"Dil Laga Na"	Dhoom 2	Hindi	Pritam	Jolly Mukherjee, Suzanne D'Mello, Sukhbir
	"Go Go Gova"	Stalin	Telugu	Mani Sharma	Ranjith
	"Aaj Ki Raat"	Don: The Chase Begins Again	Hindi	Shankar–Ehsaan–Loy	Alisha Chinai, Sonu Nigam
	"Des Rangila"	Fanaa	Hindi	Jatin-Lalit	Solo
	"Chanda Chamke"	Fanaa	Hindi	Jatin-Lalit	Babul Supriyo
	"Varevva"	Ranam	Telugu	Mani Sharma	Mallikarjun
	"Rock N' Roll Soniye"	Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna	Hindi	Shankar–Ehsaan–Loy	Shaan, Shankar Mahadevan
2007	"Bol Na Halke Halke"	Jhoom Barabar Jhoom	Hindi	Shankar–Ehsaan–Loy	Rahat Fateh Ali Khan
	"Jhoom Barabar Jhoom"	Jhoom Barabar Jhoom	Hindi	Shankar–Ehsaan–Loy	Shankar Mahadevan, KK, Sukhwinder Singh
	"Mudhal Naal Indru"	Unnale Unnale	Tamil	Harris Jayaraj	KK, Pop Shalini
	"Baat Pakki"	Just Married	Hindi	Pritam	Shaan, Sukhwinder Singh
	"Yeko Yeno"	Arasu	Kannada	Joshua Sridhar	Solo
	"Jab Chhaye"	Hattrick	Hindi	Pritam	Solo
	"Zara Gungunalein"	Laaga Chunari Mein Daag	Hindi	Shantanu Moitra	Babul Supriyo
	"Tenu Leke"	Salaam-e-Ishq: A Tribute to Love	Hindi	Shankar–Ehsaan–Loy	Sonu Nigam
	"Ta Ra Rum Pum"	Ta Ra Rum Pum	Hindi	Vishal-Shekhar	Shaan
	"Kannadaasa Kannadaasa"	Thavam	Tamil	D. Imman	Harish Raghavendra
	"Manasa" (Film Version)	Munna	Telugu	Harris Jayaraj	Naresh Iyer, Krish
2008	"Jai Ho"	Slumdog Millionaire	English	A. R. Rahman	Sukhwinder Singh, Vijay Prakash, Tanvi Shah
	"Shaava Shava"	Chintakayala Ravi	Telugu	Vishal-Shekhar	Shankar Mahadevan
	"Enduko"	Chintakayala Ravi	Telugu	Vishal-Shekhar	Sonu Nigam
	"Oh Ho Sanam"	Dasavathaaram	Tamil	Himesh Reshammiya	Kamal Haasan
	"Falak Tak Chal"	Tashan	Hindi	Vishal-Shekhar	Udit Narayan
	"Pyar Ki Dastan"	Luck by Chance	Hindi	Shankar–Ehsaan–Loy	Amit Paul
	"Dheem Dheem"	Accident	Kannada	V. Harikrishna	Sonu Nigam
2009	"Abacha"	Konchem Ishtam Konchem Kashtam	Telugu	Shankar–Ehsaan–Loy	Shilpa Rao
	"Mujh Jaisa Hero"	Love Khichdi	Hindi	Pritam	Gopal Rao
	"Maza Aa Gaya"	Victory	Hindi	Anu Malik	Sonu Nigam, Suresh Wadkar, Sudesh Bhosle, Sumitra Iyer, Altaf Raja
2010	"Sadka"	I Hate Luv Storys	Hindi	Vishal-Shekhar	Suraj Jagan
	"Chal Chal Bhosle Market"	Khichdi: The Movie	Hindi	Raju Singh	Shaan
	"Tera Mera Pyar"	Action Replayy	Hindi	Pritam	Karthik, Antara Mitra
	"Charha De Rang"	Yamla Pagla Deewana	Hindi	Nouman Javaid	Ali Pervez Mehdi, Shweta Pandit, Rahul Seth
2011	"Laungda Lashkara" (orig&remix)	Patiala House	Hindi	Shankar–Ehsaan–Loy	Hard Kaur, Jassi Sidhu
	"Rola Pe Gaya" (orig&remix)				Shankar Mahadevan, Hard Kaur, Earl
	"Mauka" (orig&remix)	Aarakshan			Raman Mahadevan, Tarun Sagar, Gaurav Gupta, Rehan Khan
	"Mala Sang Na"	Sharyat	Marathi	Chinar-Mahesh	Solo
2012	"Tore Niye Jai"	Khokababu	Bengali	Rishi Chanda	Zubeen Garg
	"Guti Guti Paye"	Bikram Singha : The Lion Is Back	Bengali	Sree Pritam	Shaan

Awards and honors[link]

• Alpha award for Best Playback, for Adhar
• Maharashtra Kala Niketan Award, for Suna Yeti Gharaat

References[link]

External links[link]

• Mahalakshmi Iyer at the Internet Movie Database
• An interview with Rediff.com
• An interview with indiaFM.com

This biography of a living person does not include any references or sources. Please help by adding reliable sources. Contentious material about living people that is unsourced or poorly sourced must be removed immediately. (February 2012)

Zubeen Garg
Zubeen Garg at a concert in Bangalore, February 2007
Background information
Birth name	Zubeen Borthakur
Also known as	Goldie
Born	(1972-11-18) November 18, 1972 (age 39) Jorhat, Assam
Genres	Playback singing, Bihu, Indian pop, rock
Occupations	Singer, composer, songwriter, musician, actor
Instruments	Vocalist, guitar,tabla
Years active	1992–present
Labels	Various
Website	http://www.zubeen.com

Zubeen Garg (Assamese: জুবিন গাৰ্গ, born 18 November 1972) is a singer and composer from Assam, India, in the Bollywood and Assamese music scene. He plays dhols, guitar, dotora, mandolin, keyboard and various percussion instruments.

Background[link]

Garg hails from Jorhat, a city in upper Assam. His birth name is Zubeen Borthakur. He was named after the great composer Zubin Mehta and uses his gotra name, Garg, as his surname. Garg was born to Mohan Borthakur, a famous lyricist, poet and a magistrate (who uses the pseudonym Kapil Thakur, and the late Ily Borthakur.

The Borthakur family has its roots in Janji, Sivasagar. Mohan Borthakur was a magistrate and he and his family moved often during Garg's early years. Ily Borthakur was a dancer, actress and singer, but she never turned these talents into a professional career. Instead, she decided to teach her son at home. Garg's younger sister Jongki Borthakur was a well-known singer and actress who died in a car accident in 2002 near Tezpur while they were going to perform stage show. There after Zubeen made an album known as "SHISHU" in memory of his late sister.^[1] Zubeen's other sister Palme, a bharatanatyam dancer, runs a dance academy in Guwahati.

Feeling indebted to his fans from Assam, Garg became involved in various charitable organizations dealing with AIDS and cancer. He is also president of societies including Destination (for autistic children), the All-Assam Cultural Organisation, and Vande.

Garg lives with his wife Garima, a fashion designer, in his Mumbai flat, which is a part of his music studio called Sound & Silence. Zubeen is also a prominent actor in Assamese films. His films have won national awards.

Entering the music scene[link]

Garg considers his mother to be his first guru and mentor. He started learning tabla from Guru Robin Banarjee, and then continued learning Assamese folk music from Guru Romoni Rai. He attended Jagannath Barooah College in Jorhat, and then moved to B. Barooah College, where he pursued Bachelor of Science. He left before completing his degree. When he received the gold medal for his western solo performance in a 1992 youth festival, he got his first taste of success and confidence as vocalist. Apart from playing dhols, dotara, mandolin, percussions, Garg is an accomplished keyboard player. He entered the professional music scene in 1992, releasing his first album, Anamika. This unusual album, became an instant hit in northeast India and had a strong influence on the Assamese musical landscape.

Career[link]

Garg continues to make albums. Garg has sung more than 9000 songs in various languages including Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, Punjabi, Oriya, Bengali, Marathi, Nepali, English, Bodo and Karbi. His song "Ya Ali" from the movie Gangster became a superhit in India, the Middle East, and across South Asia. Following this success, he released an album titled Ya Ali Remix Blast. Z

Garg released a Hindi album Zindagi, in 2007, which was well-received. His most recent Assamese album is Runjun.

He has sung in many films in several Indian languages.He is the most successful musician after legendary Bhupen Hazarika in Assamese music industry.

Film career: producer[link]

Garg started his own production house in Guwahati. He acts in Assamese and Bengali films as well. In 2007 he acted in the Assamese Mon Jai which won as national award.

In 2000, Garg wrote, directed and acted in the Assamese film Tumi Mor Matho Mor. He acted, co-produced and scored music in another Assamese film Dinabandhu, for which he received a national award in 2005.

Garg has served as music director for Assamese, Hindi, and Bengali films. He received the Best Music Award in 2005 for the Bengali movie Shudhu Tumi. He was the music director for Strings – Bound By Faith, a Hindi film directed by Sanjay Jha. He won the Rajat Kamal National Award in 2007 for best music in a short film.

His new Assamese/Bengali film You are Not My Julie is set to be released in October 2011.^{[dated info]}

List of Zubeen's albums[link]

Assamese albums[link]

• Anamika
• Sopunor Sur
• Meghor Boron
• Zubeenor Gaan
• Mukti(added by saranga)
• Hiya mon
• Zubeenor Gaan
• Shapoon
• Xabda (Sobdo)
• Paakhi(2000)
• Snigdha Jonak
• Shishu(2002)
• Maya
• Chinaki Mon
• Akou Hiya mon
• Niribili Godhuli
• Lajuki mon
• Jantra(2004)
• Raang
• Rangdhali
• Mor Priyo Geet(remake)
• Chinaki Sur(Remake)
• Rongmaanguunu
• Mukha(2006)
• Rumal(2008)
• Abujan Mon(2010)
• Bahi(2010)
• Junaki mon
• Uroniya mon
• Unmona mon
• Ringa ringa mon
• GAAN
• Mone Mone
• Sunali Mon
• Runjun

List of Hindi album[link]

• Chandini Raat Hai Sanam Paas Aana
• Yuhi Kabhi
• Sparsh
• Shradhanjali(vol-i, ii & iii)
• Nupur
• Chanda
• Zindagi

Zubeen's Bengali Songs[link]

• soniye tu janiye tu film khokababu
• Tore niye jai film khokababu
• kichu chupi chupi kotha film Phire Esho tumi
• kichu kichu kotha film Phire Esho tumi

Music director in Assamese films[link]

• Barud
• Bidhata
• Daag
• Dinobondhu
• Rong
• Hiya Diya Niya
• Jeevan Nadir Duti Paar
• Jumon Sumon
• Jown Jwole Kopalot
• Prem aaru Prem
• Priya Milan
• Kanyadaan
• Mon Jai
• Nayak
• Tumi Mor Matho Mor
• Ekhan nedekha nodir Sipare

Awards[link]

• Global Indian Film Awards (GIFA) (2006)- Best playback singer (Male) for the song "Ya Ali".
• Max Stardust Awards (2007)- New Musical Sensation (Male) for the song "Ya Ali".
• Nominated for Film Fare Awards (2007)- Best Play Back Singer.
• National Award (Rajat Kamal) (2009) for Best music director (non-feature film category) for his work on film 'Echoes of Silence'(English-Khasi)is fine

Zubeen's Hindi Songs[link]

Zubeen Garg's songs[link]

• Zubeen Garg - Life, Music, Movies

References[link]