Sky lantern
At Bholanath Dham near Scottish Church College, the Dutta family has been making and releasing phanush since 1924. The family had prepared 15 lanterns, each handmade and ranging from about five to 15 feet in height. Started by Maniklal Dutta, the tradition is now in its 102nd year. But after the announcement that licences would be required to release phanush, they have been unable to secure permission. Ajoy Dutta, who now makes and releases the lanterns, has been moving from one office to another. The family went to Lalbazar and was directed to different departments, including the Arms and Ammunition section and the fire department. They also emailed the police commissioner and the director general of fire services, and submitted copies to the local police station.
“The tradition will come to a halt after 102 years. His family has released phanush for around 60 to 65 years, usually making 10 to 15 lanterns annually, from colourful designs to lattu-shaped forms and topical themes.
Officials have not given clear guidance, according to the family. Some said they were unaware of any process for issuing such a licence, while others advised them to approach the police. “If we do not get permission, we will not release the phanush,” a family member said.
Nearby, at Dhar Villa near Hedua, Prodyut Kumar Mallick faces similar uncertainty. A Kali phanush is mandatory for them, too. The anxiety has spread among residents who wait every Kali Puja to watch the Hedua sky fill with glowing paper forms. Families gather on terraces, children count the lanterns and elderly residents recall when the practice was common across old north Kolkata.
Sachin Mukherjee (87) has decided not to release lanterns from his family’s five-storeyed home there, choosing instead to hold the programme at Bhadreshwar on Nov 22.
He said this may be his last year making phanush himself. Further north, Belgachhia will also miss its usual phanush display. Mukherjee usually holds his phanush release on the Sunday a week after Jagaddhatri Puja. His decision means Belgachhia too will miss a sight that had become part of its festive calendar.