Jagadhatri Puja 2011 at Chandannagar, Chinsura , Hooghly

A Little History before I start : Jagaddhatri Puja in Chandannagar, Hoogly, Rishra, Tehatta and Krishnanagar, Nadia is a special socio-cultural celebration in this region. In Kolkata, too, Jagaddhatri Puja is a major autumnal Hindu event after Durga Puja and Kali Puja.The cult of Jagdhatri is derived from the Tantra where she is the symbol of Sattva beside Durga and Kali and is respectably symbolised with Rajas and Tamas. Jagadhatri Puja is celebrated on the 9th lunar day of the light fortnight of the month of Karthika as mentioned in the "Krityatattarnab" by Srinath acharyachuramoni of the 15th and 16th century.

Pauranik lore

As per ancient Pauranik lore of the Hindu scriptures, soon after the victory over Mahishasur the Devatas became highly egoistic. They thought because of lending to Durga their instruments the mighty asuras were vanquished. To make them understand that the primordial power is alone behind every action, the Brahman appeared before the Devatas in the form of effulgent Yaksha.

Bewildered by its presence one by one the Devatas approached Yaksha. First the god of wind Vayu. The Yaksha asked him what he could do. The Vayu replied that he could throw away huge trees, tumble high mountains. The Yaksha then placed a small grass and asked him to move it. The Vayu utilised all his powers but lo! he could not even displace it. So also the god of fire Agni, could not even burn it. Likewise one by one the Devatas failed.

And it dawned on them that their powers are in reality not their own but derived from the supreme power who as protecting mother holds the entire creation and therefore called Jagaddhatri. Anybody who worships Jagaddhatri becomes absolutely egoless and a true servant of the world which is nothing but a manifestation of the Brahman.

Now My Turn:

Going over to Chandannagar for Jagadhatri Puja had been a mission for the past many years. But for some reason or the other, it could not happen. Just after the Durga puja and Kali Puja ( Dipawali) Holidays, its quite difficult to get leave from the office

This time it was - NOW or NEVER situation, as friends staying there are about to move out from the place

Also, luckily we had a long weekend this time with Jagadhatri Puja Dashami falling on Saturday and Id on Monday.

Though we had a working day on Sat, we left early from office and boarded the Katwa Local from Howrah station at 5:35 P.M - which would stop at Chuchura.

During the festival season, there are special trains for Howrah - Bandel route, which stops at Chuchura and Chandannagar.

We got off at Chuchura (Chinsura) where our friends stay. We freshened up at their place and went towards the GT road connector from where the procession of Jagadhatri Puja would cross.

The Jagadhatri Puja here is famous for the light processions which each local clubs display. When we reached there, the procession had already started. We sat on chairs by a sweet shop and njoyed the procession. One-by-One trucks full of lighting themes crossed us. Time went by .. It was 11:00 P.M. We were a bit hungry. So we went back to our friends place for dinner and came back within half an hour. The procession was very flamboyant. Each Idol of the Goddess Jagadhattri was at least 3 stories high.

We spent the whole night watching the procession. It was dawn (6:00 A.M to be precise) when we left the place. The procession had not ended yet. But we were a bit weary after being awake for so long. But however, we enjoyed clicking all that ....

Dakhineshwar - Belur Math - Adyapeeth

Dakhineshwar - the temple for goddess Kali, was built in the early 1800's, found by Rani Rashmoni following a dream she saw when she was about to start on her pilgrimage to Benaras.

The easiest way we found to reach Dakhineshwar from Kolkata was by Train. We took the metro at 7:30 A.M and reached Dum Dum metro by 7:30. From Dum Dum Station we took the local train to Dakhinesnwar, which took us only 10 mintues to reach Dakhineshwar Station.
From the station the temple is 10 minutes walk.

We went there on Saturday 9th July and there was a pooja that Day. Bipodttarini puja. There was huge crowd on the roads and we had to shuffle in between people and shops and cars and rickshaws. There was a serpentine line of devotees to offer their puja going even out of the main temple premises.

We went towards the back side of the temple where the Ganges flows. The pilgrims and devotees were bathing in the sacred river.

GHAT AT DAKHINESHWAR

From there we entered the main temple for "darshan" shuffling in the huge crowd and queue.

Dakhishwar - Belur Math -- We took a "nauka"(small boat) with motor to reach BelurMath. Crossing the wide and forceful Overpowering the river with small boat is a moment to be remembered.

The GANGA (Ganges)

There were about 20 people on the boat enjoying the view. We could see the BelurMandir from the boat. It was like the first glimpse of land after so long in the sea.

The Belur Math from the Boat

It took us 20-25 minutes to reach. The Math is a silent place away from the chantings and noise of Dakhineshwar. People were sitting on the lawns and enjoying the feeling of the river flowing by. The day was very hot but there was no breeze from the river also because of clouds.

THE BELUR MATH

We roamed around the area. The main temple is of Ramkrishna Paramhansa which opens at 11:30 A.M for the devotees. From there we went to have "BHOG" at the Math, which is distributed after 11:30 A.M. You have to take a coupon from the Administrative office from 9:00 A.M to 11:00 A.M.

We were very tired by afternoon and sat in the Math premises uptil it closed down at 1:00 P.M. The Math opens again for the second half after 4 P.M.

As we did not have any place to go for the time being we decided to visit our next destination .Adyapith Mandir.

Adyapith is also a temple of goddess Kali which was founded by Sri Ananda Thakur in 1915. We went back to Dakhineshwar by boat and from there we took an auto to Adyapith temple. The Temple is 10 - 15 minutes walk from Dakhineshwar temple and station.
The temple is a simple white structure where the goddess stands. The devotees can see the goddess from another platform directly opposite to the main temple, made for "darshan".In the second half the temple doors usually open after 4:00P.M. On special occasions the doors open at 3:00P.M.

That day being Bipodtarini Puja, the doors opened at 3:00 p.m. As we had reached there quite early, we sat there in the waiting hall.

The Goddess Adya

Our day ended after Darshan at Adyapith. We were too tired to go anywhere else and thus went back to the station to board the train to DumDum.

Kolkata on a TRAM

Have you ever been on the Kolkata Tram ??

From my childhood, when we used to visit Kolkata, I desired to be up on a "Tram" and roam about. But unfortunately I could not for some reason or the other.

After coming and settling here, that desire was nipped with all the hassles of life and job. Running all the time from office to home and home to office. And if there was anything else, it was always about reaching to some destination within time. The Tram - the small train running on the roads of Calcutta never passed for all these rush.

And then the repair and renovation of the tram lines started at the Tollygunge - Kalighat - Hazra stretch. As with the PWD, these repairs left the trams stranded in the sheds for a couple of years. I thought to myslef "The wish of getting up the tram is never to be". Although few trams did run at the Park Circus stretch, but being always in rush from a bus or taxi, I just stared at it, wishing to climb on it some day .... some day when I wont be running to achieve the targets of time.


But then they started again. From Tollygunge to Kalighat and back. My wish still remained as I rushed to office and rushed back home looking at it longingly. The stretch from Tollygunge to Kalighat is a short distance and by bus, without any road blocks and signals, it takes less than 15 minutes, and it was 30 minutes journey walking. Also the fact that I didn't know when the trams left their depot added to the list of not getting up on it, because that meant waiting for the tram maybe for a long time till it comes out. Again this short distance and the long wait was not qualifying in my rushed life to get on the tram.

And then it happened yesterday....................

I left early from office and went up to Hazra to get a bus. As I was waiting for the bus it striked me that I can take up the tram TODAY. And why not? A few days back I saw a tram on its route towards Tollygunge tram depot round off at 7 :15 p.m. and it is 6:20.m right now. So, most probably the tram would leave the depot by 7:00 ??? Lets take a chance.

I walked up to Kalighat Tram depot and had just reached there, when a tram en route from Tolly depot entered Kalighat depot. SO ... One Comes In .. The Other Comes OUT.

I was inside the tram at 6:30 p.m at Kalighat Tram Depot. I was a bit excited about it. My wish coming true. The tram has Two coaches .. 1st Class and 2nd Class. I couldn't at first understand the difference as it looked same to me from outside. But Class I gives you fans and Class II doesn't have any fans. I had climbed on the first coach ... and so it started chugging off. It was a really funny feeling. Sitting in a train in the middle of the city. Passengers started climbing in way. I took out a few pictures too.
The FAN at CLASS I coach

There was not much traffic yesterday, and since it was slightly windy and people don't board the tram much it was spacious and didn't even feel warm.
The TRAM Driver

Chugging through the city, I reached Tollygunge tram depot within 20 minutes.


CLASS I COACH


Well, I was dissapointed ..coz the journey ended too soon ... But I was happy that it Happened after all.

The City from a Tram at night

TOURS From KOLKATA - SHANTINIKETAN - Abode of Peace

A suddenly planned trip - not too far from the city-and lots of masti-was what recharged us for the time being.

Shantiniketan - The Abode of Peace for Maharshi Devendranath Tagore is quite true to words when you go there from the daily hum-drum of a city like Kolkata.

DAY 1 --

We started on the weekend, in fact before the weekend even strated - Friday afternoon , directly from office and rushed to the station. The train was already IN by the time we reached and so we clambered on it towards our seats. Sitting arrangement was 6+3 and two of our group members had to drop out cz of some work issues. Ahhh ....... They don't know what they missed!!

The train started and it was a small journey. We reached Bolpur station round about 8:30P.m and hopped on rickshaws, who promised to show us hotel accomodations along with the ride. So the seven of us, hopped on to four rickshaws and went hotel hopping.

Though we had already booked rooms at Hotel Chitrali (Phone No: 03463-252111, 255806), we found that it was quite far from the Vishwabharati University and so after searching at a few Hotels , we decided on at Hotel Sathi (Ph No: 03463-254630) which is at Bhubandanga. (It is said that Shantiniketan was earlier called Bhubandanga, named after Bhuban Dakat, a local dacoit).

At night there was nothing much to do, so we freshend up and roamed the streets and local handicraft shops.... ate Momos (which was not that good .. but good enuf to appetise our hungry tummies), ice creams, tea, biscuits, (made friends with a stray cat :D). Then we hopped back to the hotel tired from the journey. "Sweetened" dinner - we had that at the hotel .. and went off to sleep early for a start for next day mroning.

Day 2 -- Supposed to get up in the morning at 6, we got up at nearly 7. Maybe it was the weather or may be it was the environment, we were not even hurrying out. Hmm.. lazy mornings ... Sometimes in life , there is a feeling to go slow with everything and work on leisurely around. We were enjoying the feeling as long as it lasts. The weather was as good as our moods, cool, calm, cloudy, rainly and slightly windy. We went out by 10 and were on the road towards "Vishwabharati University", the institution started by Rabindranath Tagore, it's symbolic meaning being defined by Tagore as "where the world makes a home in a nest"..

Reaching there took us around 15 minutes. We seven on three rickshaws. One over the other ... We pranced about in the gardens of the campus after we were there.. and saw all that could be seen and understood. The "Ghari Ghar", The "Black House", Ramkinkar Baige's creations, and many more.

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Afternoon, we hired a Tata Sumo to go to "Konkali tola Mandir", "Kopai Nadi" and "Khowaii Haat". "Konkalitola mandir" is a small temple, with serene and calm surroundings a few kilometers from Shantiniketan. The Kopai Nadi~river flows by, near the temple. With green fields surrounding the temple and "baul" playing music in the background gives a peaceful atmosphere.

There is a small Shiv Mandir, which remains closed this time of the year. It has five "shiva lingas" which remains immersed in the Kopai Nadi for most of the year, and is brought out from the water for seven days before "Poila Boisakh"~ 15th April, Bengali New Year, for puja and celebrations.

We went back towards the town and had our lunch at Mansi Lodge. Better food than the night before made us quite happy. Sitting together pulling legs and having lunch has a different ambience.

3:00 P.M - We started for "Khowaii Haat".

"Khowaii Haat" is a small local handicrafts market which sits every Saturday, far from the town... in middle of nowhere, surrounded by farms and eucalyptus forests. With no artificial lighting, the aura transports you to the time when such haats were as normal as day and night. The haat starts from 3 p.m and ends with dusk creeping on the horizon.

The locals bring thier handicrafts and sell. Different kinds of jewellery made from beads and seeds, hand crafted clothes, slate paintings, woodworks, and many more. (The prices are at par with the prices sold in the city ... so it needs bargaining skills to reduce the prices).

At first it felt as if it was just a small haat, with very few people, but as the evning wore on people started coming from different places. Even tourists from other countries were there for a buy.

We also picked up a few articles and spent the evening roaming around and looking at the crafts.

Returned before dusk, rested at the hotel , and went out again at night for a little more shopping from the local shops. And thats where the fun began. After shopping (and we girls gave whole credit to the boys for bearing with us :D ) we went into the university area and sat on the steps of a university building. Singing, launging, joking, dancing ... drama, nautanki ... everything .... until it was time for dinner.

Dinner started late at Manasi Lodge with Rabindra sangeet, both as appetizer and spoil sport. And the situation at that time was stupid as well as hilarous.

Back at hotel late at night, we were not ready to go to sleep. Na! Na!

Hey! Its the last night!! Lets have some fun !! .... and so we sat chatting and pulling out our shopping spoils, showing them to the boys .. who were no doubt bored to death with it until one of them started adorning himself with it .. He he he .... and the Fun continued till late...... The caretakers of the Hotel must have been cussing at us whole night .. He he he

Day 3 -- We had to return back to our homes. We woke up late ...really late.

Who wont after sleeping as late as 4 A.M ?? :-) But still we managed to go out and visit the Museum at "Uttarayan" .. It has the five houses of the Tagore Family. No cameras allowed. And there ended our tour in Shantiniketan.

The Train was at 1:10 P.M .. and like every other tours......................................,
journey towards home ended earlier than of starting it.
We reached Howrah station by 3:30 Pm.

And after that ..... Hey Friends!!! Any comments on what we did after that ??? ;)

P.S : Please comment on the blogMuri at train

TOURS from KOLKATA - DIGHA --DAY 3 -- MORE FUN

--(Day 3), 26th December 2010 ... We have to return back to our homes today. But before the day ends we've planned for more fun. This day we woke up at 5:30 and were hip hopping to go early to the sea, to see the sunrise. Two of our group were quite lousy and being lazy bugs didnt venture out. Wooooo !! It was cold outside, more than yesterday, and it was dark too, but six of us braved the cold and went towards the beach. Two of us sat at the (cold) cement benches waiting for the sun to come up.. and two of us found a bamboo machan to sit. It was dark , quite dark with only the moon at one side and a star at the other (most probably it was Venus inthe east). A beautiful, serene night waiting for the sun to rise , amidst the foggy sky. As the sun came up it was a beautiful sight. The red sun rose with all its glamour and the waves crashing on the beach was breathtaking.

The fun began after the sun came up and we tried to hold the sun in our hands... There were horsemen on the beaches who take 20rs for a ride on the horse back. At first we were not comfertable with the idea but after one of us got up, we were boosted up and one after another climbed the horse. It was a funny feeling when the horse was moving , as it was scary too. After climbing off the horse we stayed at the beach for a while longer and decided to return back. We had some coffee to warm our bones as we were nearly chilling now. Up on the pavement it felt better with the sun warming up the air. Going back towards the hotel we had some aloo dum, luchi as breakfast from a roadside shop. The girl in the shop was handicapped, but she was happily rolling out the hot puri from the pan. Her parents were helping her. It is good to find people who dont let their problems handicap them mentally and they keep on going with life with content and smile. I and my friend wanted to buy some stuff and so as the others left back for the hotel, we walked the pavement upto New Digha. Through the way from Old Digha to New Digha the roads are lined with fir trees. Not the himalayan fir but the beach fir which bear small seeds. The trees were lined with some very beautiful birds which are not common to be seen everywhere. Wonder O bird! where do u come from! which far off land u hail from?! After shopping for little tits bits from the market, we hired a tuk tuk gari, only to understand that we were out of money. So as the van reached the hotel, we called up our frend and asked to come down with the money. (Rs 10 for two people). Coming up in the room we attacked one of our sleepy friends with cold hands and he went up screaming. He! He! He! He! At last we were able to spike him up, and he had to get up from the cozy bed. After washing ourselves fresh, we were ready to say goodbye to the hotel. We cleared up our bills and went to see the aquarium as planned. The aquarium is a small establishment with different kinds of fishes from the sea. The fish watching was complete even before half an hour. A trekker was supposed to pick us up from the aquarim, but it did not turn up in time and we had plenty of time till we were waiting. The ground outside the aquarium was vast and again lined with the fir trees and few other trees. We climbed the trees, played around and clicked many more wonderful pictures. The boys played with a ball to while away the time , till the captain of the group got injured. (Old pains) Another trekker was hired and we started our pre-planned journey to Udaipur beach. Ahoy! The Beach! - Udaipur Beach (Sunday Afternoon) - We had left the beach yesterday night with image of a serene silent place, and Woooo what do we find today??? It was full of people and full of local vendors selling DAAB, sea fishes, CRABS and other items. It felt as if all these people had suddenly mushroomed overnight without any warning. Most of the tourists were either local tourists or people like us who has come to spend just the after and would be leaving the same day. There are no hotels around the place. A few are being proposed around the area but it might take some more time to get them started. As because there were no changing rooms nearby, we girls avoided drenching in the sea. The boys as usual again jumped in and started playing with the ball. we had less time in hand as we would be catching the train to take us back home from Digha at 3:35 p.m. By 1:30 we had to call everyone out of the water though no one felt like returning back. It was a lazy December afternoo, a good warm sun, the cool air, people had become fewer by that time and we were lazy. who would want to return back at such a time ?? But we had to.............................. The boys washed themselves up in a Sulabh , a kilometer away and we climbed the trekker to go at the station. The train DIGHA - HWH DURONTO was standing at the station at 3:00p.m, scheduled to depart at 3:35pm. We had to divide ourselves according to reservation 5 ppl in the first coach, 3 ppl in the last coach. We kept our bags and went back to the town to get some lunch packed. We were ravenous after so much excitement. Got some fried rice and chicken packed along with a few egg rolls. Reaching back at the station we saw that Duronto was not on the tracks !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! .SHIT MAN!!!!! We missed the train..... Now what ???? .. . . . . . . . On another look we were relived to see that Duronto was standing right on its tracks, but got hidden due to another train on the next track. Phew! Saved... and we rushed in the train.

The train started at 3:35 and took us back to our home city ..... we laughed and played even inside the train, sang and danced too . :)

By 7:00 p.m the train reached Howrah.. and here our tour ended and went back home .. Happy ...

TOURS from KOLKATA - DIGHA -(Day 2)-- FUN FUN FUN

-(Day 2)--25th December 2010 -- 5:30 A.M.

The alarm went on and on and we kept silencing it. We were too tired to move out of our cozy warm beds. We called each other at the early morning and postponed watching the sunrise for the day next.

But ultimately I could not sleep anymore and got up by 6:00. Everyone else wanted to sleep, so I got fresh and went up to the roof of the hotel. The roof has good view of the main road as well the road towards the sea. I found that the beach was quite close by, so I hopped into my shoes and went to the beach alone. The early morning sun was very refreshing. I don’t remember after how many years was I looking at the rising SUN, that too at 6:30 A.M.

I went at shore and clicked a few pics of the sea and the sun. The sound of the morning sea ... the cool breeze... people around.. its quite nostalgic. I spent nearly an hour there.I started feeling hungry and so went back to the hotel. All were still in their cozy beds, but it was about time everyone got up.. One by one everyone started to brush up and get fresh.

We had our breakfast in the hotel dining hall. Aloo dum & Puri. The cook was good. By 9:30 - 10:00 we all went towards the sea. We started walking from Old Digha beach towards New Digha Beach. The sea was already swelling and had reached the rocks at rocks at Old Digha.

After few photo sessions, I handed over my things to my friend who preferred walking with her sis and mom on the pavement, and went out with the boys (four of them) in the sea. They walked with me for quite a while, but the sea water was getting into their blood and they started becoming fidgety to jump full into the water.

The water was up to my shins and I was walking quite slow, so the boys got ahead and started jumping in the cold water with a ball. Water splashing all over and getting drenched to their bones. As we were nearing New Digha Beach , there was less of the natural sea and more of the human sea. New Digha was FULL of PEOPLE .Rushing, pushing, gushing to jump into the sea.

After walking a few miles, I moved out on the pavement and in that sea of people everywhere I lost sight of my friend. Ultimately I found them sitting on a bench near a DAAB WALA.

The boys were having a lot of fun in the water, and we were having fun trying to locate them in the sea. And then they were lost!! Two people trying to find the other two. After spending nearly three/ four hours by the sea, the boys ultimately came out, hungry (and they found each other).

We went back to the hotel in an open motor van (tuk tuk gari - named by us), jerking and bumping on the road - but it was fun in the open air. Unfortunately we were all tired and so were not singing. We had a good bath and went for lunch at the canteen. This time it was as dinner - full plate rice, dal, aloo fry, chochori (mixed veg), and prawn and tel koi and again ilish ( Diff ppl, diff preference).

After Lunch, we were not able to move anymore.. Oh No! Not at all .. we were too tired and too heavy to go out anywhere though we did have some programmes. We tried to sleep for half an hour as a Trekker (small jeep) had been booked for 4 P.M, to take us to "TALSARI".

The road towards "TALSARI" was good, and I was quite surprised to find that within a few minutes we were running in the state of ODISA. It is a pleasant place, and in the evening it was looking quite comfertable and cozy place. Though we could not see the sea there, the boats were already shored. When the tide comes in, in the morning the fishermen sail in these boats to get their catches. There were many dead fishes and crabs lying dead on the sand. There was very small river if you can call it a river , where we jumped in to cross and reach the sand hill beyond. Thoug it was getting dark now, we were buzy doing pranks until aunty called us up to leave.

There are not much facilites in the area, but there are small shops around where one can have a good tea and pakoras. And also a "SULABH" is open in one of the corners.

After TALSARI the driver suggested we go to UDAIPUR beach. So we climed back in the trekker and off we went. By the time we reached the beach in the dark night, we were half filled with sand, rising from the back tyres of the vehicle.

UDAIPUR beach at NIGHT -- There is nearly nothing there at night. Just nothing. A few small shanties is all that was there at night. Not even a tubelight. And it was Oh! So Wonderful!

We were not able to see anything - Nothing , It was so silent, except for the sea ........ the sound of the sea seemed to call us from the dark. We could hear the sea and make out how near it was. How silent the night was and how free the air was. We decided immediately that we would come here the next day morning and spend all the time that was left before we leave tomorrow in this silent beach.

We went back happy and spent some time at the Old Digha rocks again and back to the hotel for dinner of Fried rice and Chicken curry. We had been eating since the first day we reached Digha , and we were more than full to eat anything and were trying to push it off in each others plates. But YES!! We managed to eat them all :)