Chin up, Bengalis! Jagadhatri Puja is here to keep your festive spirit alive and how. Chandannagar in West Bengal is famous for the celebration of the festival for its elaborate light decoration on the streets and grand pandals for the goddess, who is another form of the Hindu goddess Parvati.
Once a French colony, on this day, Chandannagar is dressed up in lights for five days. According to the town’s history, Indranarayan Chowdhury introduced the Jagadhatri Puja in Chandannagar after being influenced by King Krishnachandra’s style of celebrating the festival in Krishnanagar. Close to 350 years old, this puja is known as ‘Adi Maa’.
Celebration through lights is common in festivals across religions. But, Chandannagar takes the top spot when it comes to light decoration for a festival. From archaic oil lamps to candle lights, carbide gas lights to tulip lights, and tubelights to chandeliers, every type is used for decorations. The whole city turns into a “city of lights” as all street lights are turned off for the decorations and pandals to shine through.
After two years of the Covid-19 pandemic, this is the first time Chandannagar is back to its old ways. During the pandemic, many people changed their profession, but they are returning to making lights.
Many have been engaged since January in working with different types of lights, including fibre glass, LED, paints. Jagadhatri Puja is the biggest platform throug which their creativity is unveiled, using a plethora of stories and themes. Bright multi-coloured tulip bulbs are strung onto woven wires, creating images of moving bicycles, cars, trains, buds blossoming into flowers, fairy tale and cartoon characters, animals among others.
India observed its 75th Independence this year, so many pandals are also themed to show the journey of Free India while others pay tributes to the armed forces.
Vast colourful panels and light-art arrangements embellish the streets during Jagadhatri Puja. A number of ‘barwari’ pujas with their light display and Jagadhatri idol take part in the procession on Dashami every year. Each ‘puja barwari’ parades with at least two art displays revolving around a particular theme.
The names of Sridhar Das and Babu Paul are synonymous with the art of lighting. Das was the man who made Chandannagar’s Jagadhatri Puja a universally acknowledged art form, but his innovation made him an exclusive artist in Kolkata and abroad. He has been honoured with numerous awards for his outstanding creativity. During Durga Puja, Paul has done light decoration for many famous Kolkata pujas.
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