West Bengal, whose festive spirit is always on the peak. Jagadhatri Puja, the festival of lights and high spirits. The festival is being celebrated all over West Bengal with Chandannagar, a former French colony and a small town, 30 km north of Kolkata on Thursday. Jagadhatri Puja signifies worshipping of another form of Goddess Durga.
Generally, Jagaddhatri is referred as another name of Durga. In Sanskrit, Bengali and Assamse the word ‘Jagaddhatri’ literally means ‘Holder (dhatri) of the World (Jagat)’. The cult of Goddess Jagadhatri is directly derived from Tantra where she is a symbol of sattva besides being Durga and Kali, symbolising respectively Rajas and Tamas — all three basic components of Hindu philosophy. In Tantra and Purana, Jagadhatri is depicted as having the colour of the morning sun, three-eyed and four arms, holding Chakra, conch, bow, and arrow.
Since 1834 AD (1242 BS) the Jagadhatri puja continued with splendid ceremony and grandeur for over 100 years. The pages of history in Bengal say that it is popularly believed that Maharaja Krishna Chandra of Nadia started Jagadhatri Puja. The three-day puja required performing of many rituals with strict discipline and adoration. This Puja is very popular in Rishra and Chandannagar in Hooghly district.
One of the main attraction of huge Jagadhatri idol of Chandannagar is the ornamental decoration of the goddess with ‘sola’ or ‘daker’ saj and a beautiful canvas called chalchitra of mats with painting at the back of the image.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, Mayor Sovan Chatterjee, Trinamool Congress MP Sudip Bandyopadhyay, and others were inaugurating a Jagadhatri puja pandal at Posta, Burrabazar. The puja is organised by Posta Bazar Merchant Chamber of Commerce.
“We celebrate Durga Puja, Navaratri, Kali Puja, Diwali, Christmas, Chhat Puja. This is Bengal and this is our tradition,” West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said during the inauguration of Burrabazar Jagadhatri puja pandal.
It is perhaps the Jagadhatri Puja in the city that can give the Durga Puja celebrations in Kolkata a tough competition. In Chandannagar, people visit from one pandal (temporary structure made out of bamboo) to another to see the colossal idols of Goddess Jagadhatri and ravishing decorative lights. The local boys used to make arrangements for cultural events like yatra, drama, musical event and puppet shows. On the last day on ‘Dashami’, coolies were hired to carry the huge idol of Maa Jagadhatri on their shoulders for immersion at holy Ganga river.
To avoid the rush of passengers during Jagadhatri Puja at Chandannagar, Eastern Railway now runs four pairs of EMU Special trains. Three pairs of EMU Special runs between Howrah & Bandel and one pair runs between Howrah & Barddhaman. These trains will stop at all stations en route.
