Though Chandannagar is widely known for the popularity of its Jagadhatri Puja, did you know that this festival actually originated in Krishnanagar, in the Nadia district of Bengal? Or it is older than that. Jagadhatri Puja is observed on Kartik Shukla Paksha Navami tithi as per Bengali Calendar – nine days after Kali Puja and Diwali. It has a history of more than 1000 years. According to folklore, Jagadhatri Puja in Bengal is 250–270 years old. But the Goddess is mentioned in written manuscripts that are five hundred years old. Furthermore, the idol of Jagadhatri is carved on the walls of various ancient temples in Bengal. These prove that the worship of Goddess Jagaddhatri was prevalent in Bengal for a very long time.
But how did Jagadhatri Puja of Krishnanagar begin? Here’s
the story behind it.
It is said that during the reign of Maharaja Krishnachandra
Roy of Nadia, Nawab Alivardi Khan demanded 12 lakh rupees from him. When the king refused to pay, he was imprisoned in Murshidabad.
After some time, when Maharaja Krishnachandra was released
and returned home, the Durga Puja festivities were already over. Naturally, he was deeply disheartened at not being able to participate in the
Durga Puja that year.
Legend has it that on that very night, the goddess Jagadhatri
appeared to him in a dream.
And thus began the devout worship of Goddess Jagadhatri in Bengal.
In those early days, the queen of Krishnanagar’s royal family used to have darshan (viewing) of the goddess within the palace itself. Since then, it has been a tradition that before immersion (bisarjan), the idol must be carried around the front of the royal palace.
Jagadhatri Was Worshiped From 8th Century CE
Goddess Jagaddhatri is mentioned in the Mayatantra. The 'Smriti Ratnahar' by Brihaspati Raymukut, the 'Vrat Kalavivek' by Mahamahopadhyay Shulpani, and the 'Krityatattvarnava' by Acharya Srinath Chudamani, among other texts, mention Jagadhatri Puja in various places in Bengal. The dates of the puja are also mentioned. Some of these were written in the sixteenth century, and some were composed in the fifteenth century. That is, these compositions prove that Jagadhatri Puja was prevalent in Bengal long before Krishnachandra's time. There are also archaeological pieces of evidence. A stone idol of Jagadhatri from the eighth century was recovered from Barishal in East Bengal.
In addition, Jagaddhatri is present on the walls of the Char Bangla Temple in Baranagar, Murshidabad, and the Ratneswar Shiva Temple in Ilambazar, Birbhum. The presence of Jagaddhatri is also noticeable on the walls of two ancient temples in Nadia district. The image of Jagadhatri is on the walls of the Jaleswar Shiva Temple in Shantipur, Nadia. It is believed that the wife of the King of Nadia, Rudra Roy, established the temple; some, however, say that the King of Nadia, Raghav Roy, was the founder of the Jaleswar Temple. In Dignanagar, there is the Raghaveshwar Shiva Temple, and the idol of Jagaddhatri is also seen on its walls. It is known that Maharaja Raghav Roy established the temple around 1669 CE. Both Raghav Roy and Rudra Roy were ancestors of Krishnachandra. This means that the connection of Jagadhatri with the royal family of Nadia predates the era of Krishnachandra.
Jagadhatri Puja was already prevalent in Bengal. But Krishnachandra's achievement was that he popularized the Jagaddhatri Puja. He gave royal recognition to the Goddess worshipped by the Brahmins. He spread the Goddess from the royal courtyard (Thakur Dalan) to everywhere. He transformed her into a Goddess for all people. Only if the king worshipped would the common people indulge in the puja and festival. The king's God is the sovereign of the subjects. It seems that Krishnachandra used the Jagaddhatri Puja to divert contemporary discussion about his imprisonment and arrest and to erase the memory of the king's bad times from the minds of the subjects, which proves the efficiency and farsightedness of Krishnachandra as an administrator.