I was almost about to post in Facebook – Someday I wish someone would call me for a Fanush night. There are some groups and some eminent photographers from Kolkata who organise sky lanterns or fanush flying every year. Otherwise shy nature of mine and being a tiny dot in the map of eminent photographers from this city, perhaps have been the reason why I have never been invited for this. The pictures always would look amazing and attending such event was always on my wish list.
Read – My first Eid Photoshoot in Kolkata
It is always amazing to share some new experience with Tugga for the first time. Tugga had shown unexpected bravery this Kali Pujo, where he wanted to light the crackers on his own, asked for more and more crackers, went very very near the crackers, to an extent that we got scared and not for once did he cry at the sound of crackers. When I started to share with him about this event, I found little hard to explain to him what a fanush is and why perhaps his father was more excited than him. However on a working day, the ever busy parents made time to take him along to share a first timer with him.
Read – How Tugga turns baker and bakes peanut cookies
Fanush or Sky Lanterns was one of the recreational sports of Bonedi baris of kolkata. My ma says that my grandfather also used to make and fly fanushes and most of the time, he used to light them with diyas. These days, I guess it has got to do more with the alternatives which are available for entertainment that people have moved away from this. During Kali Puja, there are few enthusiasts in Kolkata who make and fly Fanush. These days there are readymade sky lanterns which are chinese made, however the real fun lies in making the fanush and then flying it.
We reached around 7 and by 7.3o we were almost ready with the sky lanterns. The interim time was one of the most interesting one, as we happened to meet Swetlana Srotoswini Bhagwan. We have been friends over Social media for long and she is an avid traveller and has a very successful and popular blog to her name.
Tugga was getting restless and we had to soon figure out a way to light up and release the fanush. We had experts all around and one of them was glad to help us out. Oh yes, we were the first to release one of the sky lanterns. The interesting part was the huge turnout of people across all ages and the moments captured through my camera, which is priceless.
Did we tell you that we are already planning for a private sky lanterns session. Heres’ to those sailing to the skies and as we explained to Tugga, hope one reached to that most loved man with all our love and wishes.
Thank you Streets of Calcutta and Calcutta Instagrammers for organizing such a wonderful event . As a photographer , as a father , as a spectator it was fulfilling .