Lanterns of Bishnupur fading into darkness

In this age of flashy light-emitting diodes, a range of handcrafted tin-and-glass oil lanterns at Bamapodo Gayen’s shop in West Bengal’s temple town of Bishnupur throw light on an era before Thomas Edison dreamed up the incandescent bulb. 

Ornate lanterns of varied sizes line the shelves, some hang under the awning above the shop’s door for an unmissable display. 

But Gayen hasn’t sold a single piece in over a month. 

“I’ve been idling away in my shop without a customer. We had around five shops that sold lanterns in this market two decades ago. Just two remain now. My children aren’t interested in this trade either,” said Gayen, one of the last lantern-makers in the district of Bankura, renowned for its centuries-old terracotta craft. 

When dusk descends on the narrow lanes of Hazrapara, the bazaar where Gayen’s shop has been standing for ages, a rare power cut reveals the true beauty of these lanterns of a bygone era. 

He lights a few lamps and they pulse with a ghostly glow, reminding people of their existence, because so often they just walk right on by without even a glance.

There was a time when scented oil or candles burned inside these lanterns in royal antechambers where courtesans entertained the king, or in British bungalows where Burra-sahibs serenaded high-strung Mem-sahibs in an attempt to recreate a London ballroom.

What blew life out of the lamp?

Bishnupur once had more than 300 households tied to the trade. 

We used to sell around 50-60 lanterns each day as electricity had not reached the remote villages. But now, just four or five are sold in a fortnight.

Just about 10 are hanging on, as electricity and modern lighting devices have made oil-wicker lanterns redundant. Portable solar-powered LED lights have taken away the small market these lanterns had in remote areas off the grid.

“We used to sell around 50-60 lanterns each day as electricity had not reached the remote villages. But now, just four or five are sold in a fortnight. The rise in kerosene price has also forced people away from lanterns,” said Paritosh Ghorai, a 70-year-old shopkeeper. 

Unable to pay their bills, many artisans borrowed cash from moneylenders to get by – thereby falling into a hopeless debt cycle. One by one, the trade lost the very people who drove it.

Then came the sucker punch for those who’re somehow managing to stay afloat: raw material prices shot through the roof. 

“Glass and tin rates had increased manifold over the past two years. A small lantern is sold for Rs 50, a big one fetches Rs 1,200. But our profit margin is less than 10 per cent because of the high raw material cost,” said Ghorai, who sells one or two pieces to the “odd guys who come by for a lantern to enrich their home décor.”

Most of the craftsmen are old with nowhere to go. 

Bijay Sharma, 82, makes barely Rs 100 from a day’s labour of making 14 lanterns. 

“I’ve been working since childhood and saw my elders earn their livelihood from this trade. Things have changed. People now want to decorate their houses with expensive items. Not with lanterns. We make decorative lanterns, but nobody buys,” said the frail man whose eyes are failing him too.

Ajay Das, 72, said unscrupulous middlemen and traders buy ornamental lanterns from the craftsmen by paying a pittance, while selling them in big cities at a hideously marked-up price. 

I’ve replaced the candle and oil wick with a holder and bulb, but kept the overall design and shell intact.

“We don’t have direct access to the outside market. That’s the bane of our life,” he said.

Light at the end of the tunnel

If necessity is the mother of invention, perhaps there’s no escaping the truism that fearing for the future is the father of innovation. 

Sasthi Manna, 35, turned the trade on its head by summoning Edison and his electricity to shine a kindly light on Bishnupur’s dying art and its signature lanterns. 

“I’ve replaced the candle and oil wick with a holder and bulb, but kept the overall design and shell intact. We sell these lanterns at fairs and people like them because of the innovation. Artisans should also learn to change with time and understand what the market’s demand,” he said.

The lantern-makers of Bishnupur, about 200km from Kolkata, wish the government would do more to support them too.

“We have to develop the industry as it is in a dying stage and more people should come forward for its survival. The state government is yet to think about its revival,” said Chandan Sen, general manager, department of MSME, Bankura district. 

Senior government officials promised to look into the matter. What do the artisans feel? Many answer questions about their future the same way: “I don’t know.”

The lead image at the top shows colorful lights coming out of lanterns (Photo by Ferozeea, Canva)

Gurvinder Singh is a journalist based in Kolkata.