Vishwakarma Day

This festival is dedicated to the Hindu god Vishwakarma, who is dubbed the divine architect. Legend goes that he constructed the holy city of Dwarka, which was ruled by Krishna, and also created many weapons for other gods. In the Rig Veda, he is mentioned as the “divine carpenter” and is credited with Sthapatya Veda, the science of mechanics and architecture.

Vishwakarma Puja is celebrated on ‘kanya sankranti’ of the Hindu calendar that falls around mid-September as per the Gregorian calendar. It falls on the last day of the Bengali month called Bhadra. This year, Vishwakarma puja will be celebrated on September 17, 2021.

The festival is mainly celebrated in factories and industrial areas. Idols and pictures of Vishwakarma are installed at the workplaces. The puja can be held anytime after this. On this day, one has to wake up early, take bath and put on clean clothes. After this, the idol of Vishwakarma is installed. Prasad is offered to the god and then one sits to worship with flowers and akshat (rice used in religious rituals).

Vishwakarma puja is also celebrated a day after Diwali, along with Govardhan puja, between October and November.