Vishwakarma Day

     Today is Vishwakarma Day or birthday of Vishwakarma, an Indian God , Vishwakarma was the divine architect and one of the fourteen precious things born of the churning of sea (samudra manthan )and on that day technician dip their tools/instruments (used in their profession) into water and worship of Vishwakarma. Vishwakarma day is celebrated after following day of Diwali. Vishwakarma is called 'Devashilpi' or 'The Architect of Gods’. The festival is observed primarily in factories and industrial areas, often on the shop floor. Vishwakarma is known as the divine engineer since the ancient age. As a mark of reverence he is not only worshipped by the engineering and architectural community but also by all professionals like Artisans, craftsmen, mechanics, smiths, welders, industrial workers, factory workers and workers of all kind worship Lord Vishwakarma on this day and pray for a better future, safe working conditions and above all success in their respective fields. Workers also pray for the smooth functioning of various machines. It is customary for craftsmen to worship their tools in his name. While worshiping their tools, workers refrain from using and working with their tools on this day. Special statues, pictures of Lord Vishwakarma are normally installed in every workplaces and factories. All workers gather in one common place and perform the pooja.The Rig Veda describes Vishwakarma as the God with multi-dimensional vision and supreme strength. He is able to predict well in advance in which direction his creation will move.
      According to mythology it is Vishwakarma who designed the triloka; the tripartite universe consisting of the mortal world, the heavens, and the netherworld.Vishwakarma is also credited for creating the missiles used in the mythological era, including the Vajra the sacred weapon of Lord Indra, from the bones of sage Dadhichi. He is regarded as the supreme worker, the very essence of excellence and quality in craftsmanship. Vishwakarma is the divine architect of the whole universe. He has four hands, carrying a water-pot, a book, a noose and craftsman's tools and mount on swan. In India, there is a class known as the Vishwakarma’s who are also known as Vishwabrahmins and they are a combination of five categories of craftsmen (panchamukhi) namely-

• Kammari (Blacksmiths)
• Vadrangi/Vadla (Carpenters)
• Ausula (Goldsmiths)
• Shilpi (sculptures who makes all kinds idols of God)
• Kanchara (Bronzsmith who makes all bronze related items including idol of God)

      Through the four yugas (aeons of Hindu mythology), he had built several towns and palaces for the Gods. In chronological order, these were Swaglok (Heaven) in Satya Yuga, Lanka in Treta Yuga, Dwarka (Krishna's capital) in the Dwapar Yuga and Hastinapur and Indraprastha in the Kali Yuga. The Jagannath Temple is a sacred Hindu temple in Puri, famous for its enormous statues of Krishna and his siblings Subhadra and Balarama, of which Vishwakarma is considered the sculptor.

• Sone Ki Lanka or Golden Lanka- According to Hindu mythology, 'Sone ki Lanka' or Golden Lanka was the place where the demon king Ravana dwelled in the "Treta yuga." As we read in the epic story Ramayana, this was also the place where Ravana kept Sita, Lord Ram's wife as a hostage. There is also a story behind the construction of Golden Lanka. When Lord Shiva married Parvati, he asked Vishwakarma to build a beautiful palace for them to reside. Vishwakarma put up a palace made of gold! For the housewarming ceremony, Shiva invited the wise Ravana to perform the "Grihapravesh" ritual. After the sacred ceremony when Shiva asked Ravana to ask anything in return as "Dakshina", Ravana, overwhelmed with the beauty and grandeur of the palace, asked Shiva for the golden palace itself! Shiva was obliged to accede to Ravana's wish, and the Golden Lanka became Ravana's palace.
• Dwarka- Among the many mythical towns Vishwakarma built is Dwarka, the capital of Lord Krishna. During the time of the Mahabharata, Lord Krishna is said to have lived in Dwarka, and made it his "Karma Bhoomi" or center of operation. That is why this place in northern India has become a well known pilgrimage for the Hindus.
• Hastinapur- In the present "Kali Yuga", Vishwakarma is said to have built the town of Hastinapur, the capital of Kauravs and Pandavas, the warring families of the Mahabharata. After winning the battle of Kurukshetra, Lord Krishna installed Dharmaraj Yudhishthhira as the ruler of Hastinapur.
• Indraprastha-Vishwakarma also built the town of Indraprastha for the Pandavas. The Mahabharata has it that King Dritrashtra offered a piece of land called 'Khaandavprastha' to the Pandavas for living. Yudishter obeyed his uncle's order and went to live in Khaandavprastha with the Pandavas brothers. Later, Lord Krishna invited Vishwakarma to build a capital for the Pandavas on this land, which he renamed 'Indraprastha'.Legends tell us about the architectural marvel and beauty of Indraprastha. Floors of the palace were so well done that they had a reflection like that of water, and the pools and ponds inside the palace gave the illusion of a flat surface with no water in them. After the palace was built, the Pandavas invited the Kauravs, and Duryodhana and his brothers went to visit Indraprastha. Not knowing the wonders of the palace, Duryodhana was flummoxed by the floors and the pools, and fell into one of the ponds. The Pandavas wife Draupadi, who witnessed this scene, had a good laugh! She retorted, hinting at Duryodhana’s father (the blind king Dritrashtra) "the son of a blind man is bound to be blind." This remark of Draupadi annoyed Duryodhana so much that later on it became a major cause for the great war of Kurukshetra described in the Mahabharata and the Bhagvad Gita.