Illuminating the Darkness: The Mysterious Aleya Lights of West Bengal

West Bengal is known for its distinct geography, history, and culture. One of the most attention-grabbing wonders of Bengal is the Sundarbans. Sundarbans is known for its forests, marshes, wildlife, and mysteries. One of the haunting mysteries of the marsh is its 'Ghost lights' which are known as 'Aleya'. Fishermen in the area reportedly see these lights. According to local belief, those who encounter the lights, including fishermen and tourists, are lured into the deep forests and never return. It is said many fishermen have lost their lives in the marshes. Some even say that these lights help them to avoid potential dangers and safely reach the shore. Thus, people don't go near the marshes after dusk. Locals believe these lights are the souls of people who have lost their lives in the marshes. Thus, some souls are believed to guide people to safety while others are thought to lure them into dangerous situations.

Moreover, there is another popular folklore in Bengal that tells the origin of these ghost lights, which is associated with Prince Aleya. Long ago in Bengal, there lived a king named Srutanjaya. His reign was spread over the region of Bengal. His son, Alyanjaya or Aleya, was supposed to be the next ruler of the kingdom. Thus, the king started to train his son in various warfare skills, hunting, etc. Once both father and son went on to hunt the Bengal Tiger. Hunting the Bengal Tiger was supposed to show the power of a man in their custom. Thus, the royal force roamed around the Sundarbans all day. After a long search, they spotted a tigress drinking water with her cub near the marshes of Sundarbans. By the time she could get the warning, the royal troops had surrounded her, she knew she couldn't save her life. Thus, she picked up the cub and leaped over. Unfortunately, she was hit by Aleya. Their purpose of proving the manhood of the prince was fulfilled, so they didn't care about the cub and returned to their kingdom. The orphaned cub couldn't survive without its mother and died in the swamp.

Days later, the father and son went on another hunt. This time, their fate was reversed. The troop reached the same marshes in search of another prey. While passing through the marsh, Aleya fell into the water. No one was able to save him from drowning. The prince lost his life in the same place where the tigress had been hit. At that moment, King Srutanjaya and his army saw a mysterious flame hovering above the ground in the marshes. They thought the light was the souls of the tigress and her cub. They thought this light was reason for Prince's sudden death. Soon, this story spread, and the lights became widely known as Aleya lights.

So, this is the story of the Ghost lights. These lights are still sighted. But the question remains: Is this story the actual reason for the Aleya lights? Now, let's examine these lights from a scientific perspective. Scientists have studied these phenomena and have given various possible explanations and theories to the phenomenon. Some suggest that the phenomenon is due to the bioluminescence of phytoplankton. Another highly plausible theory involves the electrification of methane and phosphine gases. In swampy or marshy areas, dead matter undergoes anaerobic decomposition (Anaerobic decomposition means decaying in the absence of oxygen) since they get trapped below the muddy water where oxygen is merely present. During anaerobic decomposition, gases such as methane (CH4), phosphine (Ph4), nitrogen, etc. Phosphine is a highly flammable gas, and when these gases escape from the marsh's surface and come into contact with oxygen, they produce flames, creating the light. These are some of the possible explanations for the Aleya lights.

To add on, there have been reports of many other ghost lights all over the world, which end with the same scientific explanation and similar folk stories associated with them. Examples include the Chirr Batti of Rann of Kutch, Kollivay Pey of Tamil Nadu and Karnataka, and the will-o'-wisp of English folktales and many more.

When people encounter these lights, they might be awestruck by their colorful flames and follow them. Consequently, they can become lost in the deadly swamps of the Sundarbans and eventually die there. It is possible that King Srutanjaya also mistook these chemical flames for ghosts, connecting them to his son's 'accident.' Additionally, these marshes are difficult to navigate, and some people could have lost their way in the marsh. Only a few might have managed to escape and share their stories with others.

Humans tend to mystify phenomena that appear unusual.

However, associating such phenomena with supernatural powers tends to protect those particular regions, which in turn is beneficial to the ecology. The Aleya Lights have already become integrated into the culture and folklore of Bengal, attracting tourists who come to witness these wonderful sightings.