Jagar Dharti Puja of Chandan Nagar
After Durga Puja in West Bengal, Jagaddhatri Puja is celebrated with great fanfare and whenever the name of Jagaddhatri Puja comes up, the name of Chandannagar in Hooghly district of West Bengal comes up. Although Chandannagar is a historical city of India with French colonial activities, Jagaddhatri Puja is considered as the main worship of Chandannagar. Jagaddhatri Puja in Chandannagar was started by King Krishnachandra Roy but nowadays Jagaddhatri Puja of Chandannagar is famous all over India..
Jagaddhatri Puja in Chandannagar is said to have started in the early 18th century. Maharaja Krishnachandra’s trusted aide Dataram Sur performed the Jagaddhatri Puja at his widowed daughter’s house in the first Gaurhati village in 1762 with the grant of the king. Initially this puja was for kings. Later it spread among feudal lords, traders and common people. The Barwari puja of Chandannagar is known to date back to 1790. Public worship of Jagaddhatri started here after the arrival of the French in Chandannagar for the purpose of colonization.
At the time when this puja began to be practiced, weaving was exported abroad through the river at Chandannagar. So behind this puja tradition, local businessmen had a lot of support. Initially there was basically one puja but now many pujas have gained popularity here but mainly the four pujas of Chandannagar are very famous. Whenever the name of Jagaddhatri Puja in Chandannagar is mentioned then the famous lighting here will come to everyone’s face. Along with the pandals, there is a special initiative of lighting which people come from far and wide to see. The Jagaddhatri Puja at Chandannagar has gained so much popularity that the Governor and various leaders and ministers come here to inaugurate the Puja.
With the passage of time Chandannagar has decorated its Jagaddhatri Puja with different beds because it is not looking old anymore but new themes are being introduced in Puja so that more and more people are attracted to the Jagaddhatri Puja mandap. The procession on the tenth day is the main attraction of the Chandannagar Jagaddhatri Puja. With the help of Tablo, various mythological sayings and stories are reflected. For this, small tuns are used. Lakhs of people gather on the occasion of the procession and the administration has to show considerable efficiency to handle it.
