Illumination through lights is a common phenomenon in almost every festival. Technological advancement has had its impact in all walks of life, including the concept of lighting – from the archaic oil lamps, candle lights, carbide gas lights to tulip lights, tube lights, chandeliers and twinklings. When it comes to discussing the latest and creative ones, the name Chandannagar cannot escape mention.

The streets spotted with a large number of electronic shops in Vidyalanka, Chandannagar are accountable for the availability of lights in festivals across the country. Men are seen working with fibreglass, LED lights, paints and the like, all throughout the year and more so before the Jagadhatri Puja, the biggest socio-cultural festival of the region.

The procession of Jagadhatri Puja is the biggest platform on which these lights are exhibited through plethora of themes. Multi-coloured tulip bulbs fitted on woven wires; create a semblance of motion through lights generating images of moving bicycles, cars, trains, buds blossoming into flowers, character of fairy tales, fire-spitting dinosaurs, playing dolphins and much more.

The exact “why and how” behind the origination of Chandannagar’s light industry which has rendered to the requirements of big Puja Pandals like Mohammed Ali Park, College Square, Ekdalia Evergreen etc in Kolkata is still unknown. Sridhar Das, who claims credit for bringing innovative lights in Chandannagar has even earned recognition for this at the Thames Festival in London. In the past ‘Tuni bulbs’ were used for the lightings.

The power crisis in the 1990s and the subsequent declaration by The West Bengal Board of Electricity and CESC of not being able to supply power as the bulbs consumed high voltage of power leading to the introduction of LED lights in the scenario.

“A LED light consumes 15 times less power and saves energy. The chance of getting electric shocks is also diminished. The LED lamps can be used again and again while in the case of old bulbs if one bulb does not work, the whole system does not operate. Also, the LED lights can showcase different colours while the bulbs are restrained to only one. The businesses of the light-craftsmen have also increased due to the advent of LED’s”, narrated a light-artist.

Huge colourful panels and light-art structures adorn the streets during Jagadhatri puja. Around 70 ‘Puja Barwaris’ with their light display and Jagadhatri idol participate in the procession on Dashami every year. Each ‘Puja Barwari’ exhibits a minimum of two art displays circling around one particular theme. Light businesses in Chanadannagar in their quest to expand; have gone beyond Durga and Jagadhatri Puja. Lights are even supplied to people during Diwali, Janmashtami in Delhi and Ganpati Puja in Mumbai. Chandannagar resident Babu Pal, creator of Bahubali lights has even supplied them to actor Amitabh Bachchan on Diwali.

Tapping into this existing potentiality Mamata Banerjee has initiated the opening of a ‘Light Hub’ in Chandannagar meant to give a structure boost to this industry. This light hub will escalate the traditional small scale industry and provide a steady source of income for the families and also help in preserving the craft.

(Shreya Sanyal, Ex-Modern Public School, Chandanngar Bipasha Ghosh, Ex-St Joseph’s Convent, Chandanngar)