Chandannagar Jagaddhatri Puja

The Jagaddhatri Puja of Chandannagar is among the grandest festivals of Bengal, a celebration of the goddess Jagaddhatri — “the bearer of the world,” a form of Durga — famous above all for its dazzling illuminations. In the old French town on the Hooghly, towering idols and streets aglow with light draw lakhs of visitors each autumn, in a tradition more than two centuries old.

The goddess who bears the world

Jagaddhatri is the Mother as the sustainer of creation, a serene yet powerful form of Durga seated upon a lion, holding the world in her care. Worshipped across Bengal in the bright fortnight of Kartik, she is honoured nowhere more grandly than at Chandannagar, where the puja is second only to Durga Puja in scale and fame.

The town of lights

Chandannagar, once a French settlement on the Hooghly, is celebrated for the artistry of its illuminations — vast frames of coloured lights that tell stories in motion across the streets, a craft for which the town’s lighting artisans are famous throughout India. During the puja the whole town glows, and the towering idols of Jagaddhatri are carried in a great immersion procession.

A tradition of two centuries

The Jagaddhatri Puja of Chandannagar is traced back more than two hundred years, and has grown into one of the largest religious festivals of West Bengal, with scores of community pujas across the town. The four days of worship, the illuminated streets and the final immersion in the Hooghly draw visitors from across the state and beyond.

How to reach Chandannagar

• By road: Chandannagar is in Hooghly district, about 40 km north of Kolkata on the west bank of the Hooghly.
• By train: Chandannagar has its own railway station on the Howrah–Bardhaman line.
• By air: Kolkata is the nearest airport, about 45 km away.

Frequently Asked Questions

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