In the heart of West Bengal, nestled along the serene banks of the Hooghly River, lies the picturesque town of Chandernagore. With its colonial past and a rich blend of cultures, this enchanting town has always been a cradle of history and tradition. One such tradition that has not only stood the test of time but has also evolved into an awe-inspiring spectacle is the celebration of Durga Puja.
In the midst of this vibrant tradition lies a fascinating story, one that unveils the hidden genius behind the mesmerizing festival lighting that has become synonymous with Chandannagar's Durga Puja. This is the tale of a visionary, an artist of illumination, and a man whose name would forever be etched in the annals of this town's history.
Chandernagore’s fame as the birthplace of the innovation of illumination was not built in a day. It is a legacy woven into the very fabric of this charming town, and at its heart lies the name of one man: Sridhar Das. His story lives on, passed down through generations, and captured in vivid detail in the memoirs and accounts penned by his granddaughter, Samragngi Roy. In The Wizard of Festival Lighting, the reader embarks on a journey that takes them deeper into the very heart of this visionary’s life and work, as seen through the eyes of a family member who was privy to the magic that unfolded.
Here is an excerpt from the novel published by The Speaking Tiger Books, which reveals Sridhar Das’s genius:
“I had to attend the call of an invention!
For the next few days, I visited several carpenters across the town to get a small, cylindrical, spindle-like wooden structure made for me, with a hole drilled through the length of it. I also spent a major portion of my month’s savings on the motor of a table fan, the essential part of the whole arrangement. It was this motor that would make my spindle spin once connected to a power source. Once my spindle was ready, I placed it within a wooden framework horizontally and drew five vertical lines with equal spacing between them on its body. Then I planted one copper plate on each line, diagonally one below the other, with no two plates planted right next to each other. And I placed one lone copper strip on one end of the roller that went all the way round like a continuous ring.
‘What’s that one for?’ Vikash asked me one day.
‘That will be my conductor of electricity,’ I stated proudly.
…
My heart skipped a beat when I switched on both the power sources and the roller slowly started spinning. The wires taped to the framework were fixed but the roller spun. And I was washed over by a feeling of ecstasy when I saw that as my wooden roller spun, the fixed bulb wires touched the electrically charged copper plates one after the other, and the bulbs glowed and faded out in a line one after the other. I leapt in joy and almost brought the ceiling down with my cries of delight!
‘Vikash! Vikash! Come and see what I have made!’
I was so overwhelmed that I couldn’t keep my tears from flowing!”
The Wizard of Festival Lighting The Incredible Story of Sridhar Das was published by The Speaking Tiger Books on August 5, 2023
