Zubeen Garg's Legacy Lives On: 52 Saplings Planted in Kaziranga to Honor the Environmental Advocate

Guwahati: The legendary singer from Assam, Zubeen Garg, gifted the world more than just his staggering repertoire of 38,000 songs — he left behind a legacy rooted in green.

A passionate advocate for trees and nature, Zubeen’s love for the environment resonated as deeply as his music. When the city faced the threat of losing its century-old trees to a flyover project, Zubeen stood shoulder to shoulder with the people, lending his voice to the protests. Their collective resistance eventually led the govt to revise its plans, sparing the venerable trees.

On World Rhino Day on Monday, the Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve (KNPTR) honoured Zubeen’s memory by planting 52 varieties of fruit-bearing trees, stretching from Bokakhat to the Centre for Wildlife Rehabilitation & Conservation at Borjuri. His melody now lives on — not just in music, but in every leaf that rustles in the wind.

Already, in tribute to his enduring spirit, admirers across Assam and beyond began planting trees — especially the fragrant ‘Bakul’ (Mimusops elengi or Spanish cherry) — at their homes and communities, transforming grief into greenery. The park director, Sonali Ghosh, said the trees were planted for wild animals rescued at different times, including floods, and kept at the Centre for Wildlife Rehabilitation & Conservation at Borjuri.

“It is a way through which Kaziranga National Park has shown respect to the legendary singer and a humble effort to keep his memory alive. Moreover, the reason behind choosing to plant the trees is that Zubeen was a great nature and wildlife lover,” she added. Moreover, the park authority decided to plant 52 plants as a symbol to mark Zubeen’s age when he died.

Zubeen was deeply associated with the Kaziranga National Park, often lending his influential voice to wildlife conservation and awareness campaigns in Assam.

He was also honoured by organisations such as Peta India for speaking against animal cruelty.