Himanta Biswa Sarma Honors Lata Mangeshkar’s Assamese Musical Roots

Guwahati: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma honored Lata Mangeshkar on her birth anniversary, September 28. He zeroed in on her deep musical ties to the state and her long partnership with Bharat Ratna winner Dr. Bhupen Hazarika. The pair worked together for decades, leaving a mark on the region.

Mangeshkar first sang in Assamese for the 1956 film Era Bator Xur. The track, Jonakore Rati, Asomire Maati, was composed by Hazarika. It remains a fixture in the musical memory of Assam today. Sarma posted a link to this performance on X to mark the occasion.

Sarma also pointed to the cultural overlap between Assam and Maharashtra. He noted that the word Aai means mother in both Assamese and Marathi. This shared language acted as a bridge between the two states. "As Assam celebrates #BhupenDaAt100, remembering two musical legends whose voices created a timeless bridge between Assam and Maharashtra," Sarma wrote.