Chir Batti, Chhir Batti or Cheer batti is a ghost light reported in the Banni grasslands, a seasonal marshy wetlands[1] and adjoining desert of the marshy salt flats of the Rann of Kutch [2] near the India Pakistan border in Kutch district, Gujarat State, India. Local villagers refer to the light as Chir Batti in their Kutchhi-Sindhi language, with Chir meaning ghost and Batti meaning light[1].
It is described as an unexplained light occurring on dark nights as bright as a mercury lamp that changes its colour to blue, red and yellow and resembles a moving ball (reported also pear shaped form) of fire, which may moves as fast as an arrow but may also stop[3]. As per local folklore, these lights have been a part of life in the Banni grasslands and the adjoining Rann of Kutch for centuries, but are little known beyond the immediate area and people continue to call them "ghost lights". Witnesses claim the lights at times appear to be playing hide and seek or following them.[1]. Some reports claim the light can only be seen after 8 pm on dark nights, are always two to ten feet above the ground, and if followed during the night, one could be misled from the road and lose their way in thorny jungles or desert of the salt flats of the Rann.[1] A team of local and US ornithologists [1][1] and soldiers of the Indian Border Security Force (BSF) who patrol the adjoining Rann of Kutch international borderarea of India with Pakistan have allegedly seen the light.
trange lights are seen over the vast plains south from Rann of Kutch in Gujarat, India. These are the weird Chir Batti - "ghost lights". It is hard to tell whether this landmark is meteorological phenomenon or something else.
Banni grasslands
Marshy, desolate wetlands - Banni grasslands - rise just a few metres above the sea level - although sea is some 80 km far from here.
Earlier the giant Indus River was flowing in the plains of Rann of Kutch - but after the great earthquake of 1816 the river changed its route and moved 100 km to the west. Several rivers have deposited here thick sediments over many thousands of years.
Soil here is salty and can not sustain rich vegetation - thus the area is without trees, plant cover is sparse.
In the grasslands are located several lagoons. Although the vegetation is sparse, area is rich with life - numerous rare birds and animals. Over the last decades Banni grasslands gradually turn into destination for ecotourists.
100 km to the east there are the ruins of the ancient Dholavira - metropolis of Indus Valley Civilization, occupied 4,500 years ago.
If you happen to be there, try the beautiful Hodka resort created by the indigenous people of region - amazing and beautiful round mud huts characteristic of local unique culture of Maldharis.
Description of lights
Chir Batti phenomenon starts in the darkness, reportedly only after 8 PM.
Several reports about sightings come from the surroundings of the extinct Kiro (Keero, Khiero) volcano west from Charri Dand lagoon but there are reports about sighting of 4 lights to the north east from the lagoon in 23rd January 2010. It is possible that surroundings of Kiro get mentioned more often because it is comparatively popular spot for the search of fossils - Jurassic ammonites and belemnites. After birdwatching around Charri Dand visitors tend to stay in the surroundings of Kiro until the darkness.
Chir Batti are round or pear shaped balls of fire, glowing like mercury lamps. Their color is white, blue, red, also yellow.
Balls of light are floating above the ground, in 0.6 - 3 m height. Sometimes they are moving around slowly, sometimes - fast as arrows.
Phenomenon continues at least for several minutes. Sometimes is seen one ball of light, sometimes - more (reported 7 balls of light). Sometimes one ball divides into two.
Especially weird is the interaction of lights with visitors. If one walks away, Chir Batti happen to follow him. Around Kiro hill they may follow up to the nearby Fulay village. But it is never heard that balls of light have done any harm.
There happens though another thing - if one decides to follow the ball, the light moves away and the searcher gradually gets away from the road into salt flats or thorny thickets.
There have been attempts to take pictures or movies of Chir Batti but thus far - without success.
History
"Chir Batti" in the local Kutcchi - Sindhi language means "ghost light". Local people have been observing this phenomenon since olden times and are convinced that these are ghosts.
Little was heard about this phenomenon outside this remote area until recent times. As Rann of Kutch and Banni grasslands gained recognition as important breeding location of rare birds and animals, here came biologists and ecologists and a bit later - nature loving tourists too.
One of the local long-time biologists - Jugal Tiwari - is the most often cited observer of Chir Batti phenomenon. He says that has seen the lights more than 100 times. His team setting out bird traps in night time has been distracted by these weird lights many times.
Phenomenon, of course, is well known also to soldiers of Indian Border Security Force who patrol the area in night time - they simply have to know what lights appear here in night time. Some consider that the lights somehow are caused by militaries themselves but eyewitnesses deny it.
Explanations
Banni grasslands by far is not the only location where such phenomenon - sometimes called "Earth lights" - is observed.
Of course, one explanation could be igneous gases. For thousands of years Indus has deposited here millions of tons of organic sediments and it might be logical to assume that methane and related gases are seeping through the ground and somehow ignited. But in such case there would not be observed well delimited balls of powerful light floating close to the ground for several minutes - such ignitions of methane most likely would be barely visible and, possibly, formed like torchlights.
It seems - there is no scientific exploration yet for this phenomenon.
