Fireworks in Tanjore (1830)

For a generation which considered fireworks in India to be a recent phenomenon, the revelation on social media of how fireworks have been a part of Bharatiya celebrations from a very long time, was very delightful and intriguing to me.

While i was trying to do my own research, i came across  two paintings from Thanjavur(Tanjore), Tamil Nadu, dated 1830, currently stored in the Victoria and Albert Museum, London, with vivid depiction of fireworks.

Painting 1 - Shaivite procession at night(1830, Tanjore)

Source-http://collections.vam.ac.uk/
(click to see hi-res)

Shaivite procession at night preceded by an elephant and flag-bearers and followed by images of Ganesha on his rat; Subrahmanya with his two consorts, Valli and Devayanai, on the peacock; Shiva and Uma on the bull Nandi; and Durga on her lion. The scene is illuminated by fireworks and torches; among the crowd in the foreground are a firework seller, ascetics, musicians, including a group, on the right, with hand-cymbals. One in a volume of thirty folios depicting castes, occupations, methods of cultivation and procession scenes

Painting 2 - Northern Indian marriage procession(1830, Tanjore)

Source - http://collections.vam.ac.uk
(click to see hi-res)

Northern Indian marriage procession through the bazaar at night. The scene is illuminated by fireworks and torches. The procession includes the bridegroom on a white horse, torch-bearers, musicians and dancing girls carried on litters. From a volume containing thirty folios depicting castes, occupations, methods of cultivation and procession scenes

Details of Fireworks shown in these paintings

In both the paintings, we can see aerial fireworks, which look really beautiful. In the second one, we can also see what we call 'Anaar' today.

Following are closeups from the first painting.

Fireworks launched in the sky

By these fireworks specialists on ground

Notice the guy with the bunch of rockets in hand. The folks specializing in launching these missiles are doing so with bare hands.

Following are closeups from the second painting.

Here we can see ground as well as aerial fireworks

A look at the arsenal of fireworks. The cane baskets seem to contain the rockets stacked in inverted fashion. The two sticks with array of bamboo pipes seem to be a mechanism to launch another kind of fireworks. There is also a peculiar circular device seen in the back, which is also on the top of a pole. This seems to be a form of a Chakkar which rotates on the top of the pole, like the Zameen Chakkars we know today

These guys are the pyrotechnic specialists, who are launching all the different fireworks with bare hands. Looking at their garb, they seem to be Mahomeddans.