Sarhad to celebrate Bhupen Hazarika’s birth centenary with nationwide initiatives

New Delhi, Jul 14: To mark the birth centenary of Bharat Ratna Dr. Bhupen Hazarika (1926–2025), Pune-based organisation Sarhad has announced a year-long series of cultural and educational initiatives across India. The programme will span major cities including Pune, Mumbai, and New Delhi, and will officially launch in the first week of September 2025. Announcing the commemorative events through a press release, Sarhad trustees Shailesh Wadekar and Anuj Nahar said the organisation would honour Dr. Hazarika’s artistic legacy and his vision of national integration, particularly involving youth from Northeast India. Sarhad had closely associated with Dr. Hazarika in his later years in Mumbai, a city he considered his karmabhoomi (land of action).

The centenary events will include:

Composition of music based on Dr. Hazarika’s unpublished lyrics

Public lectures, seminars, and book publications on his life and work

Cultural programmes in Pune, Mumbai, and Delhi

Inauguration of the Bhupen Hazarika Studio and the Late Smt. Jamnabai Firodia Northeast India Bhavan in Pune

Sarhad also announced that this year’s Bhupen Hazarika National Award, instituted with the consent of his family, will once again be conferred on notable personalities from the Northeast. Reflecting on Dr. Hazarika’s belief that music can serve as a powerful antidote to violence and extremism, Sarhad said this philosophy would guide its centenary-year activities. Union Minister for Development of the Northeast Region Jyotiraditya Scindia and the Chief Minister of Maharashtra are expected to attend the inauguration in Pune.