#chandannagar #lighting #procession
jagatdhatri or Jagaddhatri (transl. Bearer of the World) is an aspect of the Hindu goddess Parvati, worshipped in the Indian states of West Bengal and Odisha.[1]Her worship and rituals are derived from Tantra, where she is a symbol of Sattva beside Durga and Kali, who are respectively symbols of Rajas and Tamas.
According to the Purans, Jagadhatri is the incarnation of Siddhidhatri. She is also said to be the combined form of Sri Bhuvaneshwari and Durga. In Bengal, her puja is celebrated as the comeback of Devi, specifically in Krishnanagar, Chandannagar[2] , Rishra and Santipur.
The legend of the goddess is found in the Kena Upanishad and the Katyayani Tantra. After the goddess Durga killed Mahishasura, the gods of Svarga forgot about her powers. So, in order to test them, Parvati appeared before Agni, Vayu, Varuna, and Chandra, who were considered themselves invincible. She asked them to take out grass. Vayu failed to pluck it, and Agni failed to burn it. One by one, every god tried but failed. In the end, they understood that Devi is the source of all forms of power in the universe, and even theirs belonged to her. The Devas realized their misgivings and the goddess appeared before them as Uma, riding on a lion. The ego of the Devas took the form of an elephant. That is why Goddess Jagaddhatri is depicted sitting on a lion with an elephant under her.
This story has been taken is where we find mention of Devi where she has been called Jagadhatri for the first time. She is told to be the manifestation of Saguna Bramha and symbol of Sattwa Guna. Even though the world is witnessing destruction & creation every moment but it never gets destroyed totally. The reason is the Maha Shakti who protects and sustains it. She's the eternal, unaffected by the waves of time. Devi Jagadhatri is the manifestation of that Maha Shakti.
"You must believe in the Ishwara rupa. Do you know the meaning of Jagadhatri rupa? She is carrying the world. If she stops then the world will get destroyed" is said by Sri Ramakrishna.
Her dhyana mantra describes her weapons, vahana and her Iconography. She is sitting atop a lion, wearing different jewelry, in her four hands Devi holds bow, arrow, chakra & Samkha. She is reddish like the morning sun and she is wearing a snake garland. Her reddish colour and weapons are the symbols of raja guna but this is not for destruction and going to war. Rather this is to keep the world focused on Ritam & Satyam.
She sustains the universe through her Yoga shakti. Naga/Sarpa is the symbol of Yoga & Upavitam is the symbol of Bramhin. Devi is yogini. She is using the world through her maha yoga shakti. The act of rescuing the world is her Lila.
In her stotram, She has been invoked as Adhara bhutah, Dhritirupah, Dhurandharah, Dhruvapadah, Shaktistah, Shaktirupah, Shaktacharpriyah, Shaktivigrahe.
History of Worship
The worship of goddess Jagatdhatri was first established by Chandrachur Churamoni of Santipur who made the idol of goddess Jagadhatri for Raja Krishnachandra of Krishnanagar, Nadia in Bengal. At the time only ghat puja was conducted. Idol worship of the goddess began in the village of Bramhasason, which is located in Haripur in Santipur, Nadia. Jagatdhatri Puja is very popular in Krishnanagar, (Sutragarh-Santipur), Tehatta, Rishra, Chandannagar, Bhadreswar, Hooghly, Boinchi, Ashoknagar-Kalyangarh, Kagram.
In Krishnanagar, Nadia, Raj Rajeshwary Jagatdhatri Puja is one of the oldest in Bengal. Legend has it that once during the Nawab raj in Bengal Maharaja Krishnachandra was arrested by Nawab Siraj-ud-Dullah for not paying tax in time. He was released from prison during the day of Vijaya Dashami. Having missed the entire festivity of Durga Puja in his kingdom, Maharaja commenced the ritual of this Jagatdhatri Puja.[3]The puja was performed by Raj Rajeshwary (Raj Mata in Bengali language) and before the start, a Jagatdhatri Puja was donated by Maharaja Krishna Chandra named Maa Jaleshwary at Malopara Barowary. The worship of the goddess was later resumed by Sarada Devi, wife of Ramakrishna.[4]
But, the Jaleshwara temple of Shantipur(1665) & Raghaveshwara temple(1669) has Jagadhatri vigraha inside & temple walls to have them. So, she may be known in Nadia long before Krishna Chandra.
The Jagatdhatri puja of Bose family, Palpara, deserves a special mention in this regard. The puja of this family initially used to be held in their ancestral home in Murshidabad. Folklore has it that this puja was started in 1788. The puja was later shifted to its present location in Chandannagar, where many of the family members now live. The exact history of the deity is unknown, but family records date it back to 1640.[5]
Researcher Mohit Roy has noted that Jagadhatri vigraha from Barisal(BD) is from the 8th Century. Currently, the vigraha is in the Ashutosh Museum(Kolkata)
