Extravaganza galore

As the green leaves rust to golden brown colour and the autumn sets the stage for the arrival of the winter, the small town of Chandannagar, rich with its history gears up for the greatest festival of the year.

A festival as old as the town, a festival of dazzling lights and procession, of enormous effigies, revelry and merrymaking , a festival that defines the town ~ Jagadhatri Puja. It is celebrated in different parts of Bengal and Odisha, among which, the Puja organised in Chandannagar and Krishnanagar is popular and grand.

According to legend, Goddess Jagadhatri was originally worshipped by the Dravida Clan, around 2000 years ago, before Raja Krishna Chandra Roy of Krishnanagar inaugurated the Puja in his royal palace.

History tells us that Raja Krishna Chandra Roy was imprisoned by the Nawab of Bengal and thus was unable to perform the Puja, dejected and anguished he had a divine intervention from the holy mother, asking him to worship her on the ninth day of the lunar Calendar ~Shukla Navami. In Chandannagar the Puja was started by Indranarayan Chowdhury. The oldest Puja of Chandannagar is the ‘Chaul patti;Adi Ma’, that dates back to 300 years approximately.

The deity is depicted as a three eyed, four armed goddess with a conch, shaft, arrow and disc as her weapons. She is pictured as riding a lion and demolishing an elephant. As the name suggests, she is worshipped as the one who protects the world. The elephant is a symbol of man’s ego and thus it signifies the victory of good over evil. ‘If a woman can destroy her creation as Goddess Durga then she alone can sustain the world as Jagadhatri’ is the underlying message that the festival emits.

Chandannagar is world famous for this festival, with its procession being the second longest after Rio De Janerio’s (Wikipedia). Blending with the French culture this festival is a must watch for all tourists. It lasts for five days, on the tenth night of the lunar calendar the effigies are shown to the whole town in a majestic parade flaunting the town’s elaborate and intricately designed lights that has already been to the Thames festival.

The extravaganza and the exuberance of the festival seem to reflect the beauty of the people living there, nestled on the banks of Hooghly. It is as if during this time of the year, Chandannagar narrates its own tale.

(Anushka Roy, Coordinator, Class XI, St Joseph’s Convent, Chandannagar)

Of culture and tradition

Jagaddhatri Puja in Chandannagar is one of the foremost festivals after Durga Puja. This mirthful city seems to wake up once more after the sulkiness of Dashami. We here, start the countdown of Jagaddhatri Puja right after Durga puja.

When India was under British control and Chandannagar was specifically a French colony, it became a town of distinct culture and tradition. Jagaddhatri Puja started being a major socio- cultural event in this region. Rumours have it that the Puja was started by Indranarayan Chowdhury. He initiated Jagaddhatri puja in the name of Raja Krishnachandra of Krishnanagore. But, on the contrary, Jagaddhatri Puja was started in Krishnanagore in 1762 and Indranarayan supposedly passed away in 1750. So there is not really any proof as to who started the Puja.

Here in Chandannagar, the city is bustling with ecstasy. It’s like witnessing a classroom two weeks before the semester finals. Though some pandals are still unfinished, most of them are almost complete. The clay forms of the idols are all ready to put on their attires.

is one more thing the puja here is famous for, the ornaments which are decorated with sola and also the mats with the painting at the back of the image. The Puja of the Bose family in Palpara deserves a special mention. It was initially held in Murshidabad in their ancestral home but then it was shifted to Chandernagore.

The exact history of the deity is unknown but family records the date back to 1640. Jagaddhatri, the deity, is another incarnation of Durga. She is four handed and rides on a lion. The idol has an old fashioned cutting, the face is long and has large, ocean like eyes which are drawn up to the ears. The snake is her sacred thread.

She has four hands which respectively hold conch, discus, shaft and bow. The immersion process in Chandannagar is also really striking. Hundreds of people turn up on that day to witness this memorable event. This Puja is also popular in Bhadreshwar, Mankundu and Rishra.

Happy Jagaddhatri Puja!

(Rwitacheta Sinha, Coordinator, Class VIII, St Joseph’s Convent, Chandannagar)