Rabindra Setu (Howrah bridge) all lit up. A Telegraph picture

Come October, the ?icon of Calcutta, Rabindra Setu (Howrah bridge), will shimmer in all its glory against the night sky?, said Tapas Sen, whose 60-year-old lighting career is headed for a new high as artistic and aesthetic adviser of the Howrah bridge illumination project.

The project, undertaken by the Calcutta Port Trust (CPT) and Philips Electronics India Ltd, is scheduled to be inaugurated on the port?s foundation day, October 17. The fact that the world?s greatest bridges look at their best when illuminated at night had given CPT chairman A.K. Chanda the idea of providing decorative lighting to the 62-year-old landmark. The Rs 3-crore project received the official nod on December 10, 2004.

After his long and much-acclaimed career on the stage, during which he also piloted son et lumiere shows at Red Fort, Purana Quila, Gwalior Fort, Agra Fort and other monuments, Sen finds the Howrah bridge project challenging.

He has to take into account the traffic load on the bridge and the unpredictability of weather ? the lighting equipment has to endure both.

The light design must show up above the ?light pollution? of the area and be visible from different angles without causing a disturbing glare at close quarters. ?The bridge has a beautiful silvery grey surface, which will help, and Philips has brought from Europe lots of modern equipment, like Arenavision, Nocturnes and Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs),? Sen said.

?A total of 620 fittings will be needed and quite a few of them have been imported. But many lights have also been locally acquired. Some will have to be specially manufactured to suit our purpose,? said Sudeshna Mukhopadhyay, general manager, central lighting design and application, Philips.

?The use of LEDs is a first for Calcutta and the bridge will also be the first structure in India to have different kinds of lighting designs for different days. It hasn?t been finalised yet, but with the CPT?s approval, we will have a standard lighting for weekdays, special lighting for weekends and festive lighting for select days of the calendar,? she said.

The lighting for festive occasions could require 456 KW of power, while on regular days, the consumption should not be much above 170 KW. The CESC has been roped in and the initial cables are being laid and control rooms set up.

?The bridge is Calcutta?s second across the Hooghly, replacing the first pontoon bridge set up 100 yards downstream in 1874. It was opened to the public in the midst of World War II, with a tram plying across it on February 10, 1943. Made of 26,000 tonnes of steel, this cantilever bridge remains one of the most fascinating structures of the world,? said Chanda.

The outline of the bridge as seen from various parts of the city and local cultural expectations were key factors for the Philips design team of Mukhopadhyay, B. Jowardar and Soumen Bhowmick. With Sen?s advice, they will ensure there is no extra construction for the illumination and that the bridge loses none of its grace.

Provisions to face power cuts and other exigencies will be made. Trial will begin in August and if monsoons does not hamper work, the show should be ready by Diwali.

?I can claim that Calcutta is certainly in for a pleasant surprise,? concluded Sen.