PARAGRAPH ON VISHWAKARMA PUJA

 Vishwakarma Puja is an important festival in Hinduism. The day is regarded as the birthday of Deity Vishwakarma. Vishwakarma Puja falls every year on any date from 16th to 18th of September according to the Gregorian calendar. The festival is celebrated in Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka, Bihar, West Bengal, Tripura, Odisha, Jharkhand, Assam, and Nepal states in India.

God Vishwakarma is known as the engineer of the entire world. He is also known to be the creator of the vehicles, palaces, and weapons of all the gods. The Puja is mainly held in all the industries and shops. The idol of God Vishwakarma is decorated well and is worshipped by the people.

The birthday of God Vishwakarma is celebrated as Vishwakarma Jayanti or Vishwakarma Puja. This day is of great significance to all the artisans and skilled workers. The festival falls at the end of the Bhado month according to the Indian Hindu calendar. It is generally celebrated on the 16th or 17th of September every year.

God Vishwakarma is believed to be the architect of everything in the universe. He is an inspiration to the people of architecture, engineering, and all the craftsmen communities. The industries, factories, shops are decorated beautifully like a bride on this day. People offer prayer to God Vishwakarma to bless them with good working potential. This in turn will help in enhancing the productivity of the industries and make them successful in their work.

Only a few people have proper knowledge about this festival, though it is quite a popular one especially in Orissa, Bihar, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh. That's why only few people know that there are two days on which the Vishwakarma Puja is celebrated. The first one is celebrated on 16th or 17th of September and the next takes place exactly a day after the festival of Diwali. Both days are remembered as the birth day of lord Vishwakarma. The two days on which this Puja is celebrated are:
Rishi Panchami Dinam
It is celebrated on the next day of Diwali. The literal meaning of this day is the day of solidarity of five rishis (sages). This day is celebrated by the followers who believe that this day is not the birthday of Lord Vishwakarma, as according to their belief, a god is immortal and hence cannot die or take birth. According to the myth, this is the day when the five sons of Lord Vishwakarma came together and invoked their father; the day is celebrated in commemoration of that event. As it is celebrated according to the Hindu lunisolar calendar, it is celebrated on different dates every year.

Viswakarma Jayanti
Between the two days of Vishwakarma Puja celebration, this is the day which is more popular among the Hindus who celebrate it with pomp and show. It is celebrated as the birthday of Lord Vishwakarma and is observed on 17th September every year. This day is also commemorated as the day when Vishwakarma people crafted and gifted the plough to humanity. The plough gradually gave birth to civilization as the wanderers became cultivators and later these cultivators settled down to form society and civilization. So this day is celebrated to commemorate Lord Vishwakarma as well as to honor the early Vishwakarma people.

Significance of celebrating Vishwakarma Puja

Every festival that is celebrated in the nation has some significance behind its celebration. Vishwakarma Puja is celebrated to honor the work of God Vishwakarma. The entire universe is believed to be the creation of God Vishwakarma. He was very good at his work and therefore regarded as a divine carpenter in Rig Veda. He is also an exemplar for the people working as architects, engineers, craftsmen, mechanics, smiths, welders, industrial workers, etc. His notable deeds inspire people of these communities to work harder and get successful in their work.

Customs in celebrating Vishwakarma Puja

The small-scale factories, shops, and industries are closed on the day of Vishwakarma Puja. People clean their houses as well as the working places. The Puja is generally initiated by a morning arti in the morning. The rituals are performed on the ground floor. The idol of God Vishwakarma is placed and is beautifully decorated with flowers and garlands. The tools are also placed for worship. The people worship and offer their prayers to God. They pray to God Vishwakarma to bless them with innovation, work potential, and success in their work. The Prasad is distributed among all after the prayer is performed. Several delicious food items are prepared by the people and are served in the grand feast organized by them during the night. The festival spreads love, joy and encourages people to do their work with sincerity.