(Jagaddhatri Puja - A Festival of Lights, Chandannagar, India)
Chandannagar is a suburban city in the Hooghly district of West Bengal, located several kilometres away from the capital city of Kolkata. It was once ruled by France , and was known as Farasdanga (in Bengali, Faras = French, Danga = Land) and Chandernagore back then.
This city is famous for hosting the largest Jagaddhatri Puja festival of Bengal. The Hindu deity goddess Jagaddhatri is an alternate form of Ma Durga, who is known to hold the universe and protect it from evil. In a Jagaddhatri Puja pandal (temporary structure where the deities are prayed upon during Hindu festivals), the deity can be seen in a quadrangular shape, riding on a lion, killing a demon in form of an elephant, decorated in ornaments and covered in intricate pieces of artwork on while sola with paintings curved on it. This festival takes place annually, exactly one month after the coveted Bengali festival of Durga Puja.
(Jagaddhatri Puja being celebrated across different pandals in Chandannagar, West Bengal)
The festival in Chandannagar is hosted across 5 days, beginning on the sixth lunar day (Sasthi) in the Bengali month of Kartik, ending on the tenth lunar day (Dashami) when the idol is immersed into the holy river Ganga to bid her goodbye for the year. There are about 160+ clubs and communities in Chandannagar who organize Jagaddhatri Puja celebrations across different parts of the city, by raising pandals, performing the rituals, managing crowd of lakhs of visitors from all parts of Bengal day and night, allowing local small businesses to flourish at their Puja grounds, and most importantly creating works of art of lighting! Chandannagar is the residence of many skilled lighting workers, who build some amazing sets of static and dynamic artworks using mini electric bulbs. This is why, the best time to visit Jagaddhatri Puja in Chandannagar is during the night, when these large gates of light welcome one while strolling through the roads to explore the pandals.
Jagadhatri Pooja sounds like our Mysuru Dasara… Right? Of course, Dasara goes for 10 days and this festival is of 5 days…
Excellent, colourful shots - great!
No, I have not heard about this festival - Jagadhatri Pooja! And I have not visited the place also.
Thank you @TusharSuradkar ji. All credits to the lighting workers who have ample skills and creativity in themselves, but have to unfortunately depend on these 40 days of the annual festive period to make their ends meet each year.
@ReshamDas Excellent post! Durga Puja is indeed the most vibrant and significant festival for Hindus in West Bengal and Bangladesh. It brings together communities, cultures, and traditions, celebrating the triumph of good over evil. The festivities, the art, the rituals, and the spirit of unity make it a unique experience that resonates far beyond the borders of these regions.
@TravellerG sir, Jagaddhatri Puja has much similarities to Durgapuja/Navratri/Mysuru Dasera festival in below ways:-
Ma Jagaddhatri is another form of Ma Durga who is celebrated during the October (Aswin month on Hindu lunar calendar) 10-day period. On the contrary, Ma Jagaddhatri is celebrated exactly one month later during the November (Kartik month) 10-day period.
Both festivals are actually having a time frame of 10 days (Durgapuja starting on Mahalaya new moon, Jagaddhatri Puja starting on Diwali/Kalipuja new moon). However, the festival is celebrated in grand manner during the final 5 days.
Both festivals have the similar theme of a woman helping justice prevail, by letting good win over evil with the might of Devi Durga and Devi Jagaddhatri.
While Durgapuja/Navaratri ends on the tenth lunar day of Dussehra (also celebrated in North India with Ravana Dahan), Jagaddhatri Puja also ends on tenth lunar day one month apart, and both the idols are therefore immersed in the holy Ganges.
@ReshamDas Photos are really amazing and colorfull. I have some friends living in Chandannagar. I have heard a lot about Chandannagar Jagadhatri Pujo but could not visit yet, and also চন্দননগরের লাইটিং too.
Well said. Durgapuja is indeed one of the biggest festival and identity for the Bengali community spread all around the world. Jagaddhatri Puja, which takes place exactly one month after Durgapuja, quite brings back that sense of festivity in this part of the world, especially in Chandannagar, Krishnanagar and Kolkata.
Thank you very much for your detailed response, my dear Resham… Very well explained…
Okay, now I understood the context correctly.
Maybe a set of people celebrate Dussehra and another area celebrates Jagadhatri Puja…
Yes, Dussehra is a festival that is celebrated all over India, in different forms - somewhere as part of Navratri, somewhere as part of Durgapuja, somewhere as an independent festival. Jagaddhatri Puja is more specific to West Bengal, but there are lots of similarities in the rituals, mantras.
Yes I heard of this puja and participate in in chandannagar top.
That’s very famous for there pandal decoration and lighting that time.
Now I don’t have clue since our of Bengal for long time @ReshamDas bhai.
Regards
Anil6969
, and was known as Farasdanga (in Bengali, Faras = French, Danga = Land) and Chandernagore back then.
