Jagaddhatri
Puja is one of the important festivals celebrated mainly in the Hooghly
district of West Bengal. It is also known as Dhatri Pooja and Jagadamba Puja.
The festival of Jagaddhatri Puja is celebrated in the splendid manner on the
ninth day of the moonlit fortnight in the month of Kartik or November and the
date depends on the Bengali calendar. Jagadhatri
Puja 2012 date is November 22.
 |
| Goddess Jagadhatri |
As
Jagadhatri, Goddess Durga is the protector of the earth. In Sanskrit and Bengali, the word 'Jagaddhatri' literally means 'Holder
(dhatri) of the World (Jagat)' In Tantra and Purana, Jagaddhatri is
depicted as being the colour of the morning sun, three-eyed and four-armed,
holding Chakra, conch, bow andarrow, clothed in red, bright jewels and
nagajangopaveeta, a symbol of Yoga and the Brahman. She rides a lion standing
on the dead Karindrasura, the Elephant Demon.
In
the form of Goddess Jagadhatri she is caring and showers motherly love on her
devotees. This is one of the mild and happy forms of Goddess Durga. According
to Sri Ramakrishna, “(Jagaddhatri) holds the World. If she wouldn’t, the World
might fall down.
Devotees
worship and celebrate reincarnation of goddess Durga in the name of Jagaddhatri
and create the splendid ambiance with high festive spirits. The festival is
also celebrated at Chandannagar, Krishnanagar, Nadia and Kolkata after Durga
Puja and Kali Puja in the month of Kartik.
Celebration:
 |
| Sri Sarada Devi as Jagaddhatri |
The festival was initiated by Sarada
Devi, Sri Ramakrishna’s wife who was believed to be reincarnation of the
Goddess and still observed with high spirits in the centres of the Ramkrishna
Mission all over the world.
The
Puja is popularly called as the reincarnation of goddess Durga, the savior to
destroy evil and set peace on the earth.The festival is celebrated in the
grandiose manner by setting huge idols of the Goddess Jagaddhatri in
spectacular pandals amidst stunning illumination. The idol of goddess is decked
up beautifully by red clothes and ornaments. The goddess is also presented
garland around the neck.
The
idol is made similar to that of Goddess Durga as Goddess Jagaddhatri also holds
a conch and a bow in her two left hands and in her two right hands, a chakra
and a five-headed arrow and Her mount is a tiger.
Passages
from Chandi, the sacred text, are recited on this day and later the image of
the goddess is immersed as in durga puja. Devotees gather together to worship
the Goddess and celebrate the occasion with full devotion.
LEGEND:
As per ancient Pauranik lore of the
Hindu scriptures, soon after the victory over Mahishasur the Devatas became
highly egoistic. They thought because of lending to Durga their instruments the
mighty asuras were vanquished. To make them understand that the primordial
power is alone behind every action, theBrahman appeared before the Devatas in
the form of effulgent Yaksha.
Bewildered
by its presence one by one the Devatas approached Yaksha. First the god of wind
Vayu. The Yaksha asked him what he could do. The Vayu replied that he could
throw away huge trees, tumble high mountains. The Yaksha then placed a small
grass and asked him to move it. The Vayu utilised all his powers but lo! he
could not even displace it. So also the god of fire Agni, could not even burn
it. Likewise one by one the Devatas failed.
And
it dawned on them that their powers are in reality not their own but derived
from the supreme power who as protecting mother holds the entire creation and
therefore called Jagaddhatri. Anybody who
worships Jagaddhatri becomes absolutely egoless and a true servant of the world
which is nothing but a manifestation of the Brahman.
COURTESY:festivalsofindia.in/jagaddhatri_puja/;hindu-blog.com;
wiki-pedia.com
