Vishwakarma Puja is celebrated in honour of Hindu God Vishwakarma, who is regarded as the divine architect. He is considered as the creator of this universe. The construction of Dwarka, holy city where Lord Krishna rules, is attributed to Vishwakarma.
He was also the creator of several magnificent weapons. In the Rig Veda, he is mentioned as the creator of the science of architecture and mechanics, or Sthapatya Veda.
There is a tradition of kite flying associated with the festival that goes back a few centuries. The art of kite flying caught up in Bengal in the 1850s. Some people showed off their wealth by affixing currency notes to their kites.
But why are kites flown on Vishwakarma Puja? We have often read in our devotional storybooks and seen on television programmes based on such stories, Gods navigating through the sky in beautifully decorated chariots. Well, Lord Vishwakarma was the designer of all those flying chariots.
He is also the designer of all the flying chariots of the Gods and their weapons. As a mark of reverence for his divine skills of architecture and engineering, every year in the month of September, people pay tribute to the divine creator. Workmen, engineers, builders, smiths, welders and people from various other professions perform the puja in their homes and offices. On this day, people clean and decorate their vehicles and perform puja. Machines in factory floors and stores are also decorated. Kite flying competitions are also organized. The sky filled with colourful kites is a sight to behold. The ritual is mainly observed in parts of eastern and northern India.
The festival is celebrated on ‘kanya sankranti’ according to the Hindu calendar. It usually falls around mid-September. It is primarily observed in states like West Bengal, Bihar, Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh, Assam, Odisha and Tripura. This year, Vishwakarma puja will be celebrating the festival on September 16, 2020.
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