Bishwakarma Puja
The richness of culture and traditions in Nepal has always been amazing attraction for the western travellers and travellers from other part of the world to Nepal. Today is also another day of celebration in this Hindu dominant land, however not every citizen is in the mood of celebrating this festival. But those who are celebrating today they are celebrating like the biggest day in the earth. It is not declared as a public holiday by the government but for the group who are celebrating today, it is more than just a government holiday.
Today is the day of Lord Bishwakarma. ‘The bishwakarma Puja’. God Bishwakarma is considered as a god of construction additionally god of tools, equipment and machinery in the Hinduism. According to purana, Lord Krishna asked Bishwakarma to build the Dwaraka City, and following Kishna’s order, Bishwakarma was devoted to build the best city.
It is believed that those who worship and does the bishwakarma puja on this day will bring prosperity and progression on their job and business of machinery, tools and equipment. One interesting part of this festival in Nepal is, Bishwakarma puja is the only one festival which the day is determined according to Nepalese monthly calendar instead of lunar calendar of Hinduism. It is celebrated in 1st day of 6th month of Nepalese calendar which is on the 17th September on the year 2014. Finally another interesting side of this festival is this festival is not associated with any temple unlike other remaining festivals of Nepal. Instead of temple people worship on their home, factories, office, workshop by creating and worshipping Lord Bishwakarma of their own.
This festival is celebrated widely in the every corner of the country on the factories, workshops, plants, machinery warehouse and parking garages. The factory workers and machinery workshop workers, bus and truck drivers are the ones who celebrate this day with full of devotional enthusiasm. They decorate their workshops, factories, buses, cars with flowers or other paper decorative after special cleaning of the place followed by the puja with abhir, keshari, rice grain, fruits, traditional batti (lights) and incense stick. After they does the puja, they party with loud music, bjanan (srligious songs) with dnncing and drinking and with heavy meal with special items. Today they shut down all their work on factory and warehouse. They also drink alcoholic beverages to enjoy the day of bishwakarma.
Due to the puja there will be lack of public transportation on the streets because after the puja the owner do not drive their taxi, bus, truck. But people of Nepal kknow about this and they are prepared with the transportation situation on the Biswakarma puja day.
If you are travelling on the mid of the September please do not forget to ask your travel agency to arrange the bishwakarma puja observation during your tour in Nepal. One thig we gurantee that if you visit in any puja or participate on celeberation you will be offered free local foods. Nepalese like to treat freely with foods and drinks on their festival day, which is something good seceret to know to travel Nepal, isn’t it ??