KATHMANDU: Vishwakarma Puja, a festival dedicated to Vishwakarma—the Hindu deity regarded as the divine architect and engineer—is being observed across the country with fervor and devotion.
The festival is celebrated particularly at factories, workshops, industrial establishments, construction sites, and business premises where tools, machinery, and equipment are worshipped as symbols of work and craftsmanship.
On the occasion, workers and entrepreneurs clean and decorate their tools and machinery and offer prayers for prosperity, professional success, safe working conditions, and a better future. In many industrial areas, workers traditionally refrain from using their tools and equipment during the day as part of the observance.
Vishwakarma is revered in Hindu tradition as the divine architect, craftsman, and engineer of the universe. He is regarded as the creator of celestial cities, palaces, weapons, and other divine structures.
According to Hindu mythology, Vishwakarma built the legendary city of Dwarika, where Lord Krishna is believed to have ruled. He is also associated with the creation of several extraordinary weapons and divine structures mentioned in Hindu scriptures.
References to Vishwakarma can also be found in the Rig Veda, where he is described as a divine creator associated with the formation and sustenance of the universe. Over time, he came to be particularly revered by artisans, craftsmen, engineers, mechanics, factory workers, and others whose livelihoods depend on tools and technical skills.
The festival thus holds particular significance for working communities, serving both as a religious observance and an occasion to express respect for labour, craftsmanship, technology, and the tools that support their livelihoods.
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