Aleya: The Tale Of Lethal Lights Locked Away In The Marshes

"When darkness prevailed, the lights would come on." But what if this light is more lethal than those unmeasurable depths of darkness? Green swamps and marshes that often look attractive and peaceful also hide within them lights that can render boatmen helpless. But what are these Aleya lights that have not only been found in Bengal but also in Australia, the UK, Estonia, Finland, Latvia, and North America?

The lethal Aleya Lights in West Bengal, Image source- Hindustan Lights

If your wandering feet take you to the beautiful lanes of West Bengal, then beware of a danger lurking there, waiting for its next victim. The peaceful swamps of Bengal have a secret embedded deep beneath them.

Apart from the obvious dangers that can come rushing towards you from these marshes, there is yet another danger that carries the infamous tag of paranormal peril-mysterious lights that have the insane ability to lure you to your doom.

But what are these lights? Is there a mythological connection, or is it science that makes these wonders happen?

There are various myths and legends surrounding these mysterious lights. Let's explore them one at a time. You must have heard of the will-o'-the-wisp or ignis fatuus (giddy flame). Let's explore these concepts together if you haven't heard of them.

Will-o'-the-wisp is an atmospheric ghost light often seen by travelers at night. These lights are hidden under thick marshes, swamps, and bogs. The concept of will-o'-the-wisp is quite famous in various folklore, including English and European, and it is known by different names like hobby lantern, friar's lantern, jack-o'-lantern, and hinkypunk.

Some people believe these lights resemble flickering lanterns and often mislead travelers. However, in literature, will-o'-the-wisp is something similar to hope, or a goal that leads the travelers and boatmen to their destination, or something that can have sinister intentions.

Let's return to India, where these lights have been monikered as Aleya, or marsh ghost light. Fishermen have mainly observed this phenomenon of strange flickering lights. It is said that this light is some kind of apparition that confuses fishermen, makes them lose their minds, and sometimes even leads them to deeper waters where they drown themselves.

The locals of Bengal believe these ghost lights are the souls of the dead fishermen. Some souls are believed to be evil and lead the fishermen to their doom, while others are good and lead the anglers to their destination.

Apart from Aleya, there is yet another set of flickering lights called “Cheer Batti.” These weird dancing lights are seen in the marshes of the Rann of Kutch. The locals of Gujarat say that these lights have been dancing since time immemorial.

There is a legend behind the Aleya ghost lights of Bengal. Long ago, there lived a king named Srutanjaya, whose kingdom spread to the vast lands of Bengal and Burma. He had a son named Alyanjaya, whom he dearly called "Aleya." As Aleya grew up, his father started training him in various areas, as he was the only heir to the throne.

One fine day, Aleya and Srutanjaya went for a hunt in the forest of Sunderban. After searching for the entire day, they couldn't find any tigers. Finally, in the twilight, they spotted a tigress and her pup. Aleya attempted to target the cub, but the arrow hit the tigress instead. Though hurt badly, she was still able to take her child and run into the swamps of Sunderban. But soon, the cub couldn't find his way and was drowned in the marshes.

After a few months, Aleya came again for hunting. While searching for a tiger, he suddenly fell and drowned to death. No one was able to save him. Villagers believe that these lights are the spirits of the tigress and her cub who are trying to hunt down the villagers who attempt to hurt the other tigers of the Sundarban.

Apart from these exciting legends, there are some scientific explanations as well. In his accounts that date back to 1776, Alessandro Volta suggested that these lights were produced due to a chemical reaction. Natural lights react with gases in the marsh like methane, and as a result, these flickering lights are created.

However, many people rejected Volta's theory. People observed that these lights followed them to some extent and decreased when they followed them, as if they had a mind of their own.

Several theories emerge that explain the occurrence of these potentially sinister lights. Some say these ghost lights are goblins and fairies who are mischievous and mean no harm. A very recent study, carried out in 1993 by Professor Persinger and Professor Derr, says that these lights emanate from topographical activities.

Sailing in the dark is in itself a terrifying thing to do. To top it off with more scariness, this light-emanating creature is hell-bent on drowning the travelers. We know very little about this mysterious creature lurking deep beneath the swamps of Bengal, and perhaps this fact makes the Aleya concept more enigmatic.