Jagaddhātrī of Chandannagar

Historical Period50c CE

1750 CE onward

3000 BCE50th century CEPresent

Sacred Facts · At a Glance

Gender: female

Primary Scriptures

2 sources

Devi Mahatmya (Chandi/Durga Saptashati)sanskrit hymn
Composed 6th-7th c. CE
Sthala-puranamlocal temple narrative

Jagaddhātrī of Chandannagar

Who She Is

Jagaddhātrī Pūjā is the third-largest Durga observance of Bengal, after Durga Puja and Kali Puja. Chandannagar — the former French colony on the Hooghly — hosts the most spectacular Jagaddhātrī Pūjā in India, with illuminations that can be seen across Bengal. The goddess rides a lion treading on an elephant (representing ego); she has 4 arms. Chandannagar's tradition dates to 1750 when a local zamindar began the festival. The modern "jagaddhātrī illuminations" involve kilometres of LED panels depicting mythological and historical scenes.

Temple & Pilgrimage

Location: Chandannagar, Hooghly (22.8692°N, 88.3639°E) West Bengal
Tradition: Hindu, Shakta, Bengali
Historical: 1750 CE onward

Worship Tradition

Daily aarati at dawn and dusk; abhisheka with water/milk/turmeric; kumkum offering; red hibiscus; oil lamp. For Tantric or non-Brahmin shrines: goat-sacrifice (traditional; increasingly symbolic pumpkin-breaking).

Festival Calendar

Jagaddhātrī Pūjā (Kārtika (October–November), 4 days)

Her Place in the Shakta Landscape

Hinduism's goddess-traditions are vast and diverse — 51 Shakti Pīṭhas, 10 Mahāvidyās, 9 Navadurga, 8 Ashta Matrika, hundreds of regional forms. Each is a distinct face of the one supreme Mahā-Devī.

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✦Wisdom Graph: Divine Associations✦

📖 Stories

Jagaddhatri — The Bearer of the Universe
**Jagaddhatri** — "bearer of the universe" — is a regional goddess of West Bengal, particularly worshipped in Chandannagar. While similar to Durga, Jagaddhatri is distinguished by her depiction riding a **lion that treads on an elephant** (representing the conquest of ego and earthly attachments). She has **four arms**. The worship of Jagaddhatri follows the **Shakta tradition** with root texts in the **Devi Mahatmya (Durga Saptashati)**. Jagaddhatri is considered an expansion of the supreme goddess Mahadevi. The **Jagaddhatri Puja at Chandannagar** — dating from 1750 CE — is the most spectacular in India. The festival features elaborate illuminations with kilometers of LED panels depicting mythological and historical scenes, visible across Bengal. Daily worship includes aarati at dawn and dusk, abhisheka (ritual bathing) with water, milk, and turmeric, offerings of red hibiscus, coconut, and prasadam. The festival calendar centers on Kartika (October-November) with special Friday observances and Navratri fasting.
— Shakta tradition + Devi Mahatmya + local sources

🛕 Principal Temples

Jagaddhatri Temple1750 CE (established); various renovations
📍 Chandannagar, Hooghly, West Bengal, India
22.8692°, 88.3639° — view on map
Third-largest Durga observance in Bengal after Durga Puja and Kali Puja; spectacular illuminations

🎊 Festivals

Jagaddhatri Puja
Kartika (October-November) · 4 days
Third-largest Durga observance in Bengal; known for spectacular LED illuminations visible across Bengal

📜 Primary Scriptural Sources

Devi Mahatmya (Chandi/Durga Saptashati)Sanskrit hymn

Sources & provenance

📜 1 Primary🎓 2 Scholarly📖 1 Tertiary

📜
Primary sourceWikipedia
Jagaddhatri
View source →
🎓
Scholarly source

Jagaddhātrī of Chandannagar

Sacred Facts · At a Glance

Primary Scriptures

Jagaddhātrī of Chandannagar

Who She Is

Temple & Pilgrimage

Worship Tradition

Festival Calendar

Her Place in the Shakta Landscape