Festivals of India in the month of November

Jagadhatri Puja

At Chandannagar

Jagadhatri Puja is one of the important festivals celebrated mainly in the Hooghly district of West Bengal. Devotees worship and celebrate reincarnation of goddess Durga in the name of Jagadhatri 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.

At Krishnanagar

Jagadhatri Puja is celebrated with immense glee and joy in Hooghly district of West Bengal.
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 centers 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 Jagadhatri 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. Her mount is a tiger.

Illumination at Chandannagar

Illumination at Chandannagar

Generally, Jagaddhatri is referred as another name of Durga. In Sanskrit and Bengali, the word 'Jagaddhatri' literally means 'Holder (dhatri) of the World (Jagat)'. According to Sri Ramakrishna,“Jagaddhatri holds the World. If she wouldn’t, the World might fall down”. This explanation can be applied for both Durga and Jagaddhatri. That is why in the hymns, the goddess is always referred as ‘Jagaddhatri Durga -

“jayade jagadanande jayadekaprapujite.
  jaya sarvagate Durge Jagaddhatri namahstute.”

Translation: 

I hail Thee, o all-pervasive Jagaddhatri Durga, Thou art victorious and symbol of the joys of the world; it is only Thou in the world, who can be worshipped properly. Victory to Thee.