Kolkata’s Howrah Bridge will offer the public limited opportunities to choose its lighting colours and accompanying music or voice messages under a new programme planned by the Syama Prasad Mookerjee Port authorities. The initiative is expected to begin during Durga Puja, although the exact dates and whether the service will be free or chargeable have not yet been finalised.
The port authority, which is the custodian of the iconic bridge, plans to open slots for public applications on 10 days each year. Applicants will be allowed to select the colours used to illuminate the structure and propose an accompanying voice-over or song. The selected audio will be played at Millennium Park and made available through a mobile application for people watching the illuminated bridge.
An official said the details of the application process, including the applicable fee, would be decided soon. The authorities have not yet announced the number of applications that will be accepted on each of the 10 public-access days or the criteria that will be used to approve colour and audio choices.
Alongside the public slots, the port authority has reserved 50 other days for curated displays. There will be no public selection facility on those days. Instead, the bridge will be illuminated in colours associated with particular occasions, with accompanying sound played at Millennium Park.
The programme is expected to include displays linked to major public and cultural occasions. An official said the national colours may be used on Independence Day. During Durga Puja, the authority may select a song associated with the festival and play it at Millennium Park while visitors view the bridge in colours linked to the celebration.
The proposed arrangement places the Howrah Bridge within a broader programme of managed public experiences around a major piece of urban infrastructure. The bridge serves as a critical connection between Kolkata and Howrah, but its visual identity has also made it a prominent landmark for visitors and residents. The announcement therefore combines an infrastructure asset with an organised lighting and public-event schedule.
The use of Millennium Park as the audio location is central to the plan. According to the port authority’s proposal, visitors there will be able to hear the selected song or voice message while viewing the bridge, while people using the mobile application will be able to access the audio separately.
The port authority said further details, including the days that will be opened to the public, would be decided in the coming days. The special lighting feature is scheduled to be launched from Durga Puja.
