In addition to coloured lights in Chandannagar that have attracted people globally, alpana, a unique form of ancient classical Indian art, will be an added attraction at the forthcoming Jagadhatri Puja in the area. To get the best alpana designs, Bagbazar Sarbojanin Jagadhatri Puja Committee organized a contest in which more than 300 people of different ages took part.
The best designs were awarded. This is the 189th year of the committee. It was a unique show when the contestants used the road as canvas and drew alpana. Alpana, an ancient Indian art form, is found across the country. The colourful alpana of Odisha, Rajasthan, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh have attracted global tourists. The alpana is drawn on the floor in front of gods and goddesses.
In rural India, women learn the art of drawing alpana from their elders. Now, alpana is taught in different art schools and colleges across the country. The man, who made the coloured lighting of Chandannagar globally famous, is Sridhar Das. Decorated lights of Mr Das have decorated Howrah Bridge and Eiffel Tower in Paris with coloured lights.
His designs in coloured lighting have found their way in many countries of Europe and the United States. It was Mr Das, who brought the honour of ‘City of Lights’ to Chandannagar. It may be mentioned that in early 1970, Fhata Kesto had brought the light of Mr Das to decorate the area surrounding the Kali Puja pandal of Nabajubak Sangha, off Keshab Sen Street.
Mr Das said he was interested to put up coloured lights with designs from his school days and is associated with the design through coloured lights from 1954. In Chandannagar, he first introduced lights to decorate the area with the lamps that are fitted in torches.
There are 100-plus factories that manufacture decorated lights in Chandannagar and Bhadreshwar. All the great light designers will take part in the Jagadhatri Puja and will take the city to a dream world. Lakhs of people from across the state visit the city to see the decoration with lights.