Ghost - Lights of Bengal

 Also known as Aleya Ghost lights are a common sight in dense forests and marshy areas of West Bengal. It is a local belief that these are the souls of fishermen who perished and died in that area. There are a lot of incidences following these lights which lead people to fear them. 

It is said that whoever goes after the light drowns in water and their deaths have gone unexplained. Some say they are the souls of the fishermen who will either save you or kill you, depending upon what you are worthy of. 

People experienced these lights giving off different shapes and sizes which lead to a lot of unsettling stories around them making Sunderbans topmost haunted site in India.

There are a handful of survivors and all of them tell different stories of what they encountered and non of the stories match with each other. 

The lights appear in marshlands covered with dense plantations and in some areas are surrounded by quicksands. Not only in West Bengal, these lights can be seen throughout the planet in somewhat similar conditions.

In America, it is believed that these lights are the spirits of labour who died working for railway near forests. Many folklores mention these lights are fi Follet (or feu-Follet), the souls sent back to do God's penance but attacks people who are not baptised.

Some believe that these are Goblets with tiny ears protecting forest treasure from humans for centuries.

These stories creates curiosity among people of science as well. In 1776, an Italian scientist named Alessandro Volta, who invented the electric batteries, reported these lights to appear only in marshy and wet areas. He proposed that main reason for these glowing lights is the ionisation of methane gas in the atmosphere. In 1832, another scientist named Major Louis explained that these glowing lights are nothing but the burning of gas.

Many researchers tried to solve the mystery but non of them could prove anything.

What do you think? Are these just gases or treasure guards in action?How are they responsible for the unreasonable deaths around them?

Will you go for treasure hunting near the ghost lights or would you follow it to see where it goes?