Vishwakarma Puja Katha & Vidhi

Vishwakarma Puja is celebrated every year, traditionally on the day after Diwali or on Kanya Sankranti (around 17 September), by factory owners, artisans, engineers, mechanics, and workers of every trade who worship their tools and machines as manifestations of Bhagwan Vishwakarma, the divine architect and engineer of the universe.

Vishwakarma is described in the Rigveda as the all-seeing, all-creating divine craftsman, the one who fashioned the universe itself. He is depicted with four hands, holding a water pot, a book, a noose, and craftsman's tools, seated on a lotus or riding a swan or elephant, wearing golden ornaments. He is regarded as the son of Brahma Ji and is honoured as the presiding deity of all builders, architects, engineers, sculptors, and craftsmen.

According to the Puranas, Vishwakarma Bhagwan is credited with constructing many of the most celebrated marvels of the divine and mortal worlds. It was Vishwakarma who built Dwarka, the magnificent golden city in which Bhagwan Krishna resided after leaving Mathura, raising it from the sea itself at Krishna's request. It was also Vishwakarma who constructed Lanka, the glittering golden city later occupied by Ravana, though it was originally built for Kubera, the god of wealth, before Ravana seized it from his half-brother.

Vishwakarma is also credited with crafting the Pushpak Vimana, the magical flying chariot that could travel anywhere at the wielder's will, which later came into Ravana's possession and was used by Bhagwan Rama to return to Ayodhya after defeating Ravana. He fashioned the divine weapons of the gods, including the Trishul of Shiva, the Sudarshan Chakra of Vishnu, and the Vajra of Indra, the last of which was made from the bones of the sage Dadhichi, who sacrificed his own body so the gods could defeat the demon Vritrasura.

Vishwakarma also built the city of Indraprastha for the Pandavas, a city so magnificent that even Duryodhana was deceived by its illusions of water and solid ground, an episode that famously humiliated him and deepened the rivalry that led to the Mahabharata war. He is also said to have crafted the throne of Indra, the ornaments of the gods, and the very weapons used in the great cosmic battles between devas and asuras.

Because Vishwakarma represents the divine principle of skilled creation and craftsmanship, every person whose livelihood depends on tools, machines, construction, or engineering worships him as the source of their skill and the protector of their trade. On Vishwakarma Puja day, factories, workshops, and vehicles are cleaned and decorated, and all tools and machinery are worshipped, since they are seen as extensions of Vishwakarma's own creative power working through human hands.

On the day of the puja, workers and business owners begin by cleaning their workplace, factory, or workshop thoroughly. A murti or picture of Vishwakarma Bhagwan is installed at an elevated, clean spot, ideally facing east.

The puja begins with Ganesh Vandana, invoking Bhagwan Ganesha for an auspicious and obstacle-free start. Vishwakarma is then offered a fresh bath (abhishek) with water, followed by application of chandan and kumkum, and offerings of fresh flowers, particularly yellow and red blooms, akshat (unbroken rice), and a garland.

All tools, machines, instruments, and vehicles belonging to the household or business are gathered, cleaned, and placed before the deity, decorated with flowers and kumkum tilak, since on this day they are worshipped as sacred instruments of livelihood rather than mere objects.

A diya is lit, incense is offered, and the Vishwakarma Chalisa or Vishwakarma mantras are recited. Sweets, particularly laddoos and other prasad, are offered, and an aarti is performed. Many businesses also fly kites on this day as part of the celebration, a tradition especially popular in northern and western India.

After the puja, prasad is distributed among workers and family members, and it is customary for employers to treat their workers with special respect and often bonuses or gifts on this day, honouring the labour and skill that sustains their enterprise.

Om Aadhar Shaktaye Namah, Om Kamalasanaya Namah, Om Vishwakarmane Namah are among the mantras chanted, along with the simple and popular: Om Vishwakarmane Namah, repeated with devotion while offering flowers.

Even today, Vishwakarma Puja holds deep relevance, factories, IT companies, garages, printing presses, construction sites, and even individual craftsmen and mechanics observe this day with reverence, worshipping computers, sewing machines, vehicles, and every kind of tool as blessed instruments through which Vishwakarma's creative energy flows. The festival reminds every worker that true craftsmanship is not merely technical skill but a sacred offering, and that honest, skilled labour performed with devotion is itself a form of worship.

This puja is a matter of faith and cultural tradition, celebrating the dignity of labour, craftsmanship, and engineering skill passed down through generations.