O Mur Apunar Dekh
Assam’s State Song of Home and Belonging
There are songs that stay with us. Over time, they stop being melodies and become memories. They remind us of who we were and where we come from.
For anyone who has grown up in Assam, O Mur Apunar Dekh (which means “O My Beloved Homeland”) holds such a place. As the state song of Assam, it is the soundtrack of a homeland that lives inside us, no matter how far we may roam.
(Note: The video may open in a separate tab/app. Source: Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav)
The song was written by Lakshminath Bezbarua, a poet and writer who played a key role in shaping Assamese identity. He wrote with a deep love for the land and its language. His words continue to resonate because they carry a timeless truth.
When I hear the opening notes, it brings back more than a tune. It brings a feeling. I think of the tea gardens stretching toward the horizon, the Brahmaputra moving quietly through the land, and the smell of the earth after rain. I remember hearing Assamese spoken in soft conversation, holding warm tea in a bati, and the gentle rhythm of festivals that marked the seasons.
The song’s opening lines, “O mur apunar dekh, O mur sikuni dekh” (“O my beloved homeland, O my homeland so pure and fair”), carry that tenderness. Though small in size, Assam holds a vast heart, a place of quiet beauty and lasting traditions. Its richness lies not in grandeur but in the soil that nurtures tea gardens, paddy fields, and generations of stories.
Assam is often called Akhomi Aai, Mother Assam, and for good reason. The bond between the people and the land is like that of a child and mother: nurturing, protective, and patient. The song reflects this connection. It offers something to hold on to, even when we are far away.
For many who have left Assam, whether to other parts of India or far beyond its borders, the song stirs a longing that transcends words. It reminds us that home is not just a place. It is a feeling we carry within, steady and alive.
O Mur Apunar Dekh is a song of remembrance and quiet strength. It honors a homeland that continues to live through its people’s stories, voices, and traditions. For those who may never walk its riverbanks or breathe its air again, the song offers a priceless gift: the chance to carry Assam with them, wherever they go.
O Mur Apunar Dekh (in Assamese)
অ’ মোৰ আপোনাৰ দেশ অ’ মোৰ চিকুণী দেশ এনেখন সুৱলা, এনেখন সুফলা এনেখন মৰমৰ দেশ । অ’ মোৰ সুৰীয়া মাত অসমৰ সুৱদি মাত পৃথিৱীৰ ক’তো বিচাৰি জনমটো নোপোৱা কৰিলেও পাত । অ’ মোৰ ওপজা ঠাই অ’ মোৰ অসমী আই চাই লওঁ তোমাৰ মুখনি এবাৰ হেঁপাহ মোৰ পলোৱা নাই ।
English (Poetic Translation)
O my beloved homeland O my homeland so pure and fair So melodic, rich, and grand Beloved land that warms the heart. O voice so musical Sweet voice of Assam No birth anywhere in the world Could find such worth untold. O place that gave me life’s first breath O Mother Assam Let me behold your face once more My heart still hungers, evermore.
Whenever the melody rises, Assam feels close again. It waits quietly, ready to welcome us home.