GUWAHATI, Sept 19 - Festive spirit and fanfare marked Biswakarma Puja that was celebrated throughout the State on September 18 to revere the Hindu God of engineering and architecture. The festival, that bears a special significance for those associated with construction and machinery, is growing in magnitude with every passing year.
Biswakarma Puja, which is usually celebrated on a fixed date � September 17 � every year, was celebrated in most of the areas of Assam on September 18 this year.
Colourful pandals were erected to host community celebration of the puja, where idols of Biswakarma were worshipped as per Vedic rituals. Distribution of prasad and community feast are integral to the community celebrations.
On the spiritual side, the festival is the celebration of man-machine bonding and its growing popularity also demonstrates the growing dependence of humans on machinery and technology. At many installations, the day of puja is dedicated for maintenance and upkeep of the machines.
In Guwahati, glittering lights along the main thoroughfares and illuminated buildings created the perfect ambience for the puja. Pleasant weather conditions gave further impetus to the enthusiasm of pandal hoppers.
A good number of people came out to the streets to be a part of the festivities and make the most of their Biswakarma Puja holiday.
Like every year, this year too dazzling lighting and colourful puja pandal of The Assam Tribune Group�s Biswakarma Puja celebration attracted a huge crowd. This was the Tribune Group�s 72nd edition of Biswakarma Puja.
Apart from the usual religious rituals, a Nagara Naam was held on the Tribune premises, which was inaugurated by Champak Barbara, artiste and cartoonist of the Tribune Group. Hemanta Kalita from Nalbari and Harakanta Kalita from Kamrup mesmerised the crowd with their Nagara Naam performance.
Makeshift stalls and kiosks selling toys, street food, lights, balloons, etc., added to the festive ambience.
Factories, educational institutions, architectural firms, builders and other institutions also celebrated Biswakarma Puja with great fanfare. Major celebrations were held in Ganeshguri, Khanapara, Noonmati, Ulubari, Chandmari and Sixmile areas. While restaurants and food joints did brisk business, malls and shopping complexes also did their best to attract maximum footfall.
