IAEEL newsletter 2/96

Light & Lighting: A Photo Essay from India

In India, lighting is as much a part of the culture as it is a part of the economy. Lighting applications range from the most fundamental and practical functions, like a kerosene lamp illuminating a nighttime food market, to the most spiritual ones, such as a tiny oil lamp set afloat in prayer on the Ganges River at sunrise. The most recent session of the International Commission on Illumination (Nov. 1995) was held in India, the first time ever in a developing country. India, no doubt, gained new insights into the world of lighting technology, while the foreign participants surely gained a new appreciation of the magic of lighting and its importance to India.

Text and Photos: Copyright © Evan Mills

Photo 1 Far, far from the nearest power line, photovoltaic fluorescent lighting systems are finding their way into remote villages like this one in the scorching deserts of Rajastan. Note the lamp to the right of the door. - near Jaisalmer

Photos 2 and 3 Kerosene light is standard fare across India. Practical, portable, and cordless, it finds its way into most night markets. Here a man sells jewelry in a narrow alleyway , and a young man returns to his shop with a newly filled fuel canister. - Jodhpur

Photo 4 Incandescent outdoor lighting is still widespread in India. In this case, the luminaires are being removed and replaced with efficient high-intensity discharge lamps. - Pushkar

Photo 5 At one time, no doubt viewed as an energy-efficient lighting measure, bare linear fluorescent street lighting is far from ideal. The chaotic wiring is indicative of problems with the electricity infrastructure in India. - Mandawa

Photo 6 'A luminaire of highest crafting and beauty, an ancient oil lamp. - Jaipur

Photo 7 At dawn on the banks of the Ganges River, the only man-made light sources in view are these small, floating clay saucers with wick and oil - prayers of light from India. - Varanassi

Photo 8 Lighting finds many applications that have little to do with function. This Muslim wedding procession included a bicycle rickshaw carrying a small generator. The marchers were linked together with a make-shift power line that kept their fluorescent headware glowing in bright green and white. - Varanassi

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