After Durga Puja and Kali Puja comes Jagadhatri Puja in West Bengal and Odisha. Jagadhatri is one of the incarnations of Goddess Durga.
The term Jagadhatri is an amalgamation of two Sanskrit words: Jagat meaning world and dhatri, meaning the one who bears or carries the world. Goddess Jagadhatri is, therefore, the mother of this world or bearer of the world.
This festival is celebrated on the Navmi Tithi in the Hindu month of Kartika, Shukla Paksha. There is a story behind why this Goddess is celebrated.
According to Hindu mythology, the Gods of Devalok had created Goddess Durga with all their strength and might to defeat the demon Mahishasura. After Durga defeated the demon, the Gods had started taking pride in their strength and believed that no one is more powerful than them.
To crush this pride which eventually led to ego, the feminine power decided to form Jagadhatri. Dressed in red, she appeared as a four-armed Goddess, sitting atop a lion. She held a conch, a bow, a chakra and an arrow in her four hands. The Goddess, thereafter, challenged the Gods to lift a blade of grass. After the Gods failed in this trivial task, they understood their delusion and apologised for cultivating ego.
In the idol of Goddess Jagadhatri, it depicts her lion trouncing an elephant with his claws. This signifies the ego of the Gods being crushed and shattered by the Goddess.
Jagadhatri Puja timing:
Navami Tithi Begins - 04:57 AM on Nov 05, 2019
Navami Tithi Ends - 07:21 AM on Nov 06, 2019
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