West Bengal Temple Festivals are the cultural bonds of the Bengali society that bind the culture and the traditions of the Bengalis. The main West Bengal Temple Festivals include Durga Puja, Kali Puja, Lakshmi Puja, Shivaratri and Jagaddhatri Puja. West Bengal celebrates the spiritual, commercial and the cultural festivals in immense zeal.
Different West Bengal Temple Festivals
West Bengal is famous for its culture and festivals which are an inevitable part of this culture. Following are the different temple festivals of West Bengal:
•Rathayatra Festival: Rathayatra festival is a popular West Bengal temple festival, held in Hooghly district, during the months of June or July at the temples of Mahesh near Serampore. It is a weeklong festival. People throng to have a share in pulling the long ropes attached to the chariots of Lord Jagannath, Balaram and Subhadra on the journey from the temple.
•Jhapan Festival: Jhapan is a festival celebrated in the temples of West Bengal of Bankura district. The festival is held in the honour of the serpent-deity Manasa on the last day of the Bengali month "Sravana" (mid-August). But the most spectacular thing is the one held at Vishnupur in the district of Bankura, with its queer shows of live snakes on open platforms.
•Jalpesh Mela: On the event of Shivratri, a month-long fair is held at Jalpesh near Mainaguri in the district of Jalpaiguri. The fair hubs round the age-old Shiva temple dedicated to Lord Jalpeswara.
•Vishnupur Festival: In the temple town of Vishnupur, a festival is held every year between 27th and 31st December. Featured by the presentation and sale of local handicrafts and performance of the rich musical tradition, this is an enormously popular festival.
Durga Puja and Diwali are celebrated in different temples of West Bengal. Other than the community celebrations, the traditional Durga Puja is grandly celebrated in the temples. The biggest Bengali festival is Durga Puja, held in the Bengali month of "Aswin" or October. Images of the ten-armed goddess are worshipped in ancient houses, pandals and temples. After the four-day ceremony, the images are immersed in the Ganga River. The festival that follows is Kali Puja or better known as Diwali, the festival of lights. This festival brings about the worship of Goddess Kali, a reflection of Goddess Durga. Kalighat Temple in Kolkata is a premier site for worshipping Goddess Kali. The worship of Goddess Kali is marked by display of fireworks and crackers.
Jagaddhatri Puja is a famous West Bengal temple festival in the Hooghly district, where Goddess Jagaddhatri is worshipped in the Bengali month of Kartik or November. At Chandannagar near Kolkata, images of the goddess are gigantic, moreover, the pandals are spectacular and the illumination is unique. In fact, the illumination part is the most attractive feature in the West Bengal Temple Festivals. The West Bengal Temple Festivals are great events of pompous celebration and sacrifices. Thousands of devotees gather in various cities of the state to enjoy the grandeur of West Bengal Temple Festivals.