The journey of a lamp
By O.P. Bhagat

WHEN did men light the first lamp? Ages ago when he lived in caves. In some of these caves, which are quite dark, are painted pictures of animals. The early artists could have worked there only when the places were lit. The lamps used then were as primitive as the men. They were skulls or hollowed stones in which the wicks of moss or grass were dipped in animal fat.

When man started making pottery, he made clay lamps as well. At first these were just small dishes. Later they got the lip or spout the mitti ka diya has to this day.

The lamp we light at Divali is thus very old. But it goes on with the most modern lamp. There are so many ceremonies and celebrations at which, for auspiciousness, only the age-old diya is lit.

In time oil — of seeds, nuts and fruits like the olive — came to be used in place of fat. And the wick was made of twisted cotton or flax. This was another milestone in the journey of the lamp.

At the same time, tapers and torches were used. They paved the way for the candle. In Africa oil nuts were burnt in dishes to make light. Maybe at places it is still done so. Some tribes catch fireflies in cages. They use them as lanterns in the dark. This must have been done for countless centuries. Some children still make such lamps for fun.

By the way, in his Believe it or Not series Ripley tells of a surgical operation on a soldier in the USA done by the light of a firefly lantern. As pottery became artistic, so did the clay lamps. Some lamps had now more than one wick. Others were made in the shapes of birds, animals, women and imaginary beings.

Some clay lamps we use at Divali are shaped like fish, peacocks, elephants and nymphs. The more decorative candles are on sale then, and again at Christmas.

Stone-carvers too made beautiful lamps. Metal workers did it in their own way. Basically they were like the old lamps of clay. But they were more shapely and more ornamental. Some were made of silver and gold.

Whatever the material used was, the lamps now served a dual purpose. They gave out light and added to the beauty of the place where they were kept. In other words the lamps became a part of the home and temple decor.

Special niches and ledges were made for them as were stands and holders. Some had shades to keep the wind from blowing them out. And some had covers to collect the lampblack.

Gold and silver lamps were for palaces, temples and rich men’s houses. Some were ratnadipa — lamps set with gems. In old tales and poetry such lamps emit xxx light without oil and wick. Then there were arti-dipa — (prayer lamps) and archana-dipa — (lamps for offering).

Some lamps were hung from the ceiling, while others rose in tiers, and yet others branched like a tree — vriksha-dipa. The bedroom lamp was ratipradipa, which suggested love-making.

Most homes had diyas or small lamps. But they were no less a source of joy. Nothing cheers in a dark room as much as the glow of a lamp does. If there are more of these together, the joy becomes rejoicing. It is the small diyas that make the dark, moonless Divali night so bright and beautiful. The festival’s name is a popular form of Divali — a row of lamps.

For centuries, Europe had smoky torches and smelly tallow candles. Then better candles and oil lamps began to be made. Glass chimneys protected the flame draughts and made them brighter.

In time, a variety of lovely lamps of metal, glass and porcelain were made. The wicks were fed by paraffin or kerosene. They were as much the neighbours’ envy as the owner’s pride. These, as also the old ornamental Indian lamps, are now the collectors’ items. Many can be seen in museums and some in homes as mementoes of the past.

Until the early thirties, we had many imported lamps in our homes and offices. For electric lighting was not so common then. Some of those reading lamps shed bright light with little or not much glare.

Those who could not afford those costly lamps used ordinary oil lamps. They ranged from a tin ka diya to a laltain — a hurricane lantern. All-night work in many homes and shops, even small workshops, was done by their light.

A studious boy or girl, as also a writer or any other hard worker, smelt of the lamp in those days. In the West, gas brought about another change in lighting. The light was better than any man had made before. Gas lit not only homes but also streets.

Now, as R.L. Stevenson writes, "mankind and its supper parties were no longer at the mercy of a few miles of sea-fog; sundown no longer emptied the promenades; and the day was lengthened out to every man’s fancy".

In India we did not use gas for lighting like that. But we used lots of petromax gas lamps to light up weddings and other functions. Indian brands of gas lamps are still used on such occasions.

A yet bigger change came with the electric light. Along with some other inventions this made ours a bright new world. It was not as easy as it sounds. It took years to generate power on a commercial scale and set up a power distribution system. Also, it took many trials and errors to make a cheap and good tungsten filament bulb.

Earlier, whether it was a candle or an oil lamp, it took some time to light it. Now a room or a house or an entire street or locality was lit up by just pressing a button. Our everyday life will be nearly paralysed if the other things using electricity work and the lights fail.

Most offices, on whatever floor they are, will be plunged into darkness. The streets will look as if there is a blackout. No operation or a major test will be possible in hospitals.

The working of airports, railway stations, police stations and other such places will be hit. There will be no cinema shows. In film studios, there will be no shooting. There will be no floodlit cricket or other matches. Nor will there be many of the music and floor shows. Telecasts will also be put off.

The lighting revolution did not stop with the tungsten filament bulb. After it, came the fluorescent lamps (tubelights). Their light is soft and bright. The effort now is to make light which is like daylight.

Mercury and sodium lamps are much brighter. They are used in factories and for street light.

The revolution continues. For even the best artificial light we have today has some, or much, scope for improvement.

Any day newer bulbs may make today’s new lamps seem old. After that we will have yet newer lamps.