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The preparation for the Jagaddhatri Puja in and around Chandannagar begins with the departure of Goddess Durga after completion of the Durgotsav. The permanent wooden framework of Goddess Jagaddhatri is worshipped (KathamoPujo) on the day of Vijaya Dashami of Durga Puja every year and is the official inauguration to the much awaited Jagaddhatri festival. Then begins the gradual and cumbersome process of preparing the huge images of the Goddess while the tallest of them reaching the heights of about thirty feet. The process includes the tying of hay to the wooden structure, applying multiple coating of clay, application of colour and crafting the eye of the Goddess (Chokkhudaan) etc. The head gear and the Chalchitra of the Jagaddhatri Idols of Chandannagar are great representations of folk art forms of Bengal wherein exquisite Shola Pith decorations are carved out on it. The festival spans for four days commencing with the Shukla Saptami Tithi of the Bengali month of Karthik and the town of Chandannagar bustles in festive fervour during this period. Goddess Jagaddhatri is however worshipped in other parts of Bengal only on the day of the MahaNabami.
The Dhyan Mantra describes Goddess Jagaddhatri as follows:
The DeviJagaddhatri is seated on top of her Vahana the Lion and is adorned with various ornaments. She is Chaturbhuja i.e. four handed and a serpent (Naag Rup Jaggopabito) is tangled around her neck in the form of a sacred thread. She holds on to the (Shankha) Conch Shell and the (Dhanuka) Bow in her left hands and a (Chakra) Spinning Disc like weapon as well as a (Panchabaan) Arrow to her right. She is clad in a red coloured saree and her complexion is compared to the colours of the rising sun.
The part of the Dhyan Mantra Jagaddhatri DurgayaNamahclarifies the point that Jagaddhatri is another form of Goddess Durga. Researcher Sri Subir Kumar Sarkar quotes from the Puranas that the Gods Varuna, Agni, Vayu and Chandra once decided that they are superior and have attained the Parameshwara state among all other Gods in the Hindu Pantheon. Hearing about this audacious proclamation, Goddess Durga attained a bright and vibrant form and arrived in front of them. The four Gods, surprised and being unable to trace the reason behind such a bright and vibrant form of the Goddess sent Pawan Deva, the God of Air towards her. The Goddess planted a handful of grass in front of the Pawan Deva and asked him to pluck them from the ground. In spite of his vehement efforts, Pawan Deva failed to pluck the handful of grass from the ground. He then made way for Agni Deva who tried his hands at burning off the blade of grass and failed again. The other Gods also followed suit but failed to pick/pluck/burn or destroy the blade of Grass that was planted by the Jyotirmoyee (illuminated) form of the Goddess Durga. They therefore expressed their reverence towards her and started worshipping the Goddess as a superior form and the Goddess thereby attained the name of Jagaddhatri henceforth!
The Goddess Jagaddhatri (The one who is holding on to the Earth) does not represent a violent form as that of Durga. She is seated on her Vahana Lion which stands upon the Elephant representing the Karindrasura (MahaGaja). As per the Chandi, during his fight with Goddess Durga, Mahishasura had disguised himself in the several forms. First he transformed himself from a Mahisha (Bull) to a Lion. When the Goddess Durga conquered the Lion form of Mahishasura, he then took the male human form with a sword and started to face the attacking Goddess. The Durga representation that is commonly seen in Bengal is the male human form of Mahishasura with a sword in hand. When the Goddess defeated and conquered this human form of the demon too, he then took the form of a MahaGaja (Korindrarup) which is that of the elephant. As the elephant form of Mahishasura approached to attack the lion, the Goddess severed the trunk of the elephant with her weapon signifying victory over evil spirits. As per 19th Century saint and religious leader of Bengal Sri Ramakrishna Paramhansa, the meaning of Jagaddhatri is the one who is holding on to the entire earth. If she doesn’t do so, the entire earth will be falling apart. He then compares the Elephant (form of Mahishasura – Evil Spirit) of the Goddess Jagaddhatri to the human mind and stresses that the Goddess Jagaddhatri resides in the heart of those who succeed in keeping the wild elephant like restless mind under his/her control. The Singhavahini Goddess Jagaddhatri’s Lion is seen to have kept the elephant under control. In this context, it could be highlighted that the Holy Mother Sarada Devi, wife and spiritual consort of Sri Ramakrishna Paramhansa was particularly fond of worshipping the Goddess Jagaddhatri in her native village Joyrambati, Bankura, which she attended physically until 1919 AD and the tradition is continued till date by the Ramakrishna Math Mission.
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2 Nov 2022 - 5 Nov 2022
12:01 AM - 11:59 PM
Free
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