17 September RASTRIYA SHRAMA DIWAS.

th

By: Badal Moharana

HRD, Cell, BMS Odisha
Information Create Wealth

Is a day when, all BHARATIYA widely regard Vishwakarma as the god of architecture and
engineering, and 17th September every year is celebrated asVishwakarma Puja - a resolution
time for workers and craftsmen to increase productivity and gain divine inspiration for creating
novel products starting from remote Villages to Highly Urbane metropolitan Cities across
India and abroad. This revolves around Industrialization of Nation, Labourization of Industries
and Nationalization of Labour. This ritual usually takes place within the factory premises or
shop floor, and the otherwise mundane workshops come alive with fiesta. Vishwakarma Puja
is also associated with the buoyant custom of flying kites. This occasion in a way also marks
the start of the festive season that culminates in Diwali. Lord VISHAVKARMA ( ʴɶɴÉÆ
EÞòiɺ¨xÉ Eò¨ÉÈ ´ªÉÉ{ÉÉ®äú ´ÉÉ ªÉúªÉ ºÉ: - Ê´É·É Eò¨ÉÉÇ* ) The Creator of
Universe. Also knew as Divine Draftsman. He is the only architect who was imbued with all
the qualities of Fine Art, which were necessary for the creation of Universe. As per VEDA,
(Rig) he is the one and only one beyond the seven is. In Hindu mythology, Viswakarma is
considered as the Divine Architect. He is called 'Devashilpi' or 'The Architect of Gods’. As per
SKAND PURAN (¤ÉÞ½þº{ÉiÉä ¦ÉÊMÉxÉÒ ¥ÉÀ´ÉÉÊnùxÉÒ* |ɦÉɺɺªÉ iɺªÉ
¦ÉɪêÉÉÇ ´ÉºÉÚxÉɨɹ]õ¨ÉºªÉ SÉ* Ê´É·ÉEò¨ÉÉÇ ºÉÖiɺiɺªÉ ʶɱ{É
EòiÉÉÇ |ÉVÉÉ{ÉÊiÉ:*) His mother was Yogasiddha (Bhubana), sister of Brihaspati. His
father was Prabhas, the eighth hermit of the legendary Astam Basu.

In our Country some of organization celebrating 17 th September (Kanya Sankranti) as the

birth day of Viswakarma but it is wronged. The Basistha Puran & Rig Veda saying (¨ÉÉPÉä
¶ÉÖC±Éä jɪÉÉänù¶ªÉÉÆ Ênù´ÉÉ{ÉÖ¹{Éä {ÉÖxÉ´ÉǺÉè* +¹]õÉ Ì´É¶ÉÊiÉ
¨Éå VÉÉiÉÉä Ê´É·Eò¨ÉÉÈ ¦É´ÉÊxÉ SÉ*). In the day of Kanya Sankrit (17th
Sep ) he started the work of world building. The Rig Veda describes Viswakarma as
the god with multi-dimensional vision and supreme strength ("" Ê´É·É ´ÉiÉ SÉIÉÖ¯ûiÉ
Ê´É·ÉiÉÉä¨ÉÖJÉÉå Ê´É·ÉiÉÉä¤ÉɽÖþ¯ûiÉ Ê´É¶Éº{ÉÉiÉÂ'') . He is able to
predict well in advance in which direction his creation will move. In later mythology
sometimes identified with Tvastr he is the divine craftsman of the whole Universe, and the
builder of all the gods' palaces. Viswakarma is also the designer of all the flying chariots of
the gods, and all their weapons and divine attributes. He is said to have revealed the
STHAPATYAVEDA or fourth Upa-veda, and presides over the sixty-four mechanical arts.

Legends
According to mythology it is Viswakarma who designed the Triloka; the tripartite Universe
consisting of the mortal world, the heavens, and the netherworld. Viswakarma 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, Sudarshan for Bishnu, Pinaka
Dhanush & Trishul for Siva and many other weapons for all Goddess. He is regarded as the
supreme worker, the very essence of excellence and quality in craftsmanship. Viswakarma is
the divine architect of the whole universe. He has four hands, carrying a water-pot, a book, a
noose and craftsman's tools.
 (P-1)

Architectural Wonders
Hindu mythology describes many of Vishwakarma's architectural accomplishments. Through
the four yugas (aeons of Hindu mythology), he had built several towns and palaces for the
gods. In chronological order, these were Swarglok (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 Viswakarma is
considered the sculptor.

Sone Ki (of Gold) 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 Viswakarma to build a beautiful palace for them to reside.
Viswakarma 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. Again,
the traditional sources point to Mahamaya as the architect and his daughter Mandodri
married Ravana.

Dwarka: Among the many mythological towns Viswakarma 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", Viswakarma is said to have built the town of
Hastinapur, the capital of Kauravas and Pandavas, the warring families of the Mahabharata.
After winning the battle of Kurukshetra, Lord Krishna installed Dharmaraj Yudhisthir as the
ruler of Hastinapur. This is a local legend not borne out by Mahabharata.

Indraprastha Viswakarma also built the town of Indraprastha for the Pandavas. In
Mahabharata, the creator is Maya, the other divine architect. The Mahabharata has it that
King Dhritrashtra offered a piece of land called 'Khaandavprastha' to the Pandavas for living.
Yudhishtir obeyed his uncle's order and went to live in Khaandavprastha with the Pandava
brothers. Later, Lord Krishna invited Viswakarma 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 Kauravas, and
Duryodhan and his brothers went to visit Indraprastha. Not knowing the wonders of the
palace, Duryodhan was flummoxed by the floors and the pools, and fell into one of the ponds.
The maids of the Pandava wife Draupadi, who witnessed this scene, had a good laugh! This
insult from the maids of Draupadi annoyed Duryodhan so much that later on it became a
major cause for the great war of Kurukshetra described in the Mahabharata and the
Bhagavad-Gita.
 (P/2)

According to traditional belief, Vishwabrahmins are descended from five sons of lord
Vishwakarma. They are Manu (blacksmith), Maya (carpenter), Thwastha (metal
craftsman), Silpi (stone-carver) Vishvajnya (goldsmith). The community is spread widely
throughout India and played a vital role in the village economy. Their socioeconomic status
varied from a very high level to the low level in different parts of India as they earned high
wages in towns because of their factory employment and low in villages. About
Vishwabrahmins Anand K. Coomaraswamy says ‘the Kammalar (i.e. Panchal) were known
as Vishwa or Dev Brahman or Dev Kammalar. They spread gradually towards the south and
then reached Ceylon, Burma & Java.

Pillars of Indian Culture and Civilization

Everything in this world we see like big dams, the reservoirs, bridges, skyscrapers, airplanes
and all sorts of mechanics around which our life revolves are the product of Hammer and
Chisel, which represent. Lord VISHWAKARMA. Mankind cannot deny these facts as it would
be a betrayal of our mythological history. Let us therefore accept the truth laid down in
our scriptures and holy books and bow our head in reverence to Universe.

The Vishwakarma Brahmins have contributed greatly to Indian civilization and culture as
temple and city builders, architects, engineers and artists. Without their immense
contribution, Indian civilization would be very poor indeed. Contribution of Vishwakarma
Brahmins to Indian culture and civilization:

1) Nalanda - Vishwakarma Brahmins built this giant educational complex accommodating

over 10,000 students and 2,000 teachers. The university was considered an architectural
masterpiece, and was marked by a lofty wall and one gate. Nalanda had eight separate
compounds and ten temples, along with many other meditation halls and classrooms. On
the grounds were lakes and parks. The library was located in a nine storied building
where meticulous copies of texts were produced. The subjects taught at Nalanda
University covered every field of learning, and it attracted pupils and scholars from Korea,
Japan, China, Tibet, Indonesia, Persia and Turkey.

2) Iron pillar of Delhi - The pillar is made up of 98% wrought iron of pure quality, and is a
testament to the high level of skill achieved by ancient Indian iron smiths in the extraction
and processing of iron. It has attracted the attention of archaeologists and metallurgists
as it has withstood corrosion for the last 1600 years, despite harsh weather.

3) Indus Valley civilization - The earliest known civilization in the Indian subcontinent
was the Indus Valley Civilization, comprising many urban settlements, including the large
cities of Harrappa and Mohenjo Daro, and characterised by a variety of house types,
many of which had private baths connected to public drainage systems. The cities
consisted of a citadel raised above residential and production districts with streets laid out
in a grid plan and lined by drains.The uniformity in urban layouts, house typologies and
sizes as well as construction methods of the standard kiln-fired bricks, is evidence of
significant social and political co-ordination.

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4) Hindu architecture - A basic Hindu temple consists of an inner sanctum, the garbha
griha or womb-chamber, in which the image is housed, often with space for its
circumambulation, a congregation hall, and possibly an antechamber and porch. The
sanctum is crowned by a tower-like shikara. At the turn of the first millennium CE two major
types of temples existed, the northern or Nagara style and the southern or Dravida type of
temple. They are distinguishable by the shape and decoration of their shikharas.

5) Buddhist and Jain architecture - Viharas (Buddhist monasteries) began to appear

soon after the death of the Buddha, particularly during the Mauryan Empire (321 – 232
B.C) with characteristic stupa monuments; and chaityas (meditation halls housing a
stupa). The same period saw the beginning of stone architecture, evidenced by palace
remains at Pataliputra as well as the Ashoka Stambha - the monolithic free-standing
columns inscribed with edicts put up by the Emperor Ashoka. The Ashokan period is also
marked for the introduction of brilliant rock-cut architecture, which formed into the 1000-
year-long tradition of cutting and sculpting vast, complex and multi-roomed shrines into
natural rock, resulting in religious edifices belonging to Ajivika Buddhist, Hindu and Jain
faiths.
6) South Indian architecture - South Indian architecture was a style of architecture that
emerged thousands of years ago in the Indian subcontinent. They consist primarily of
pyramid shaped temples which are dependent on intricate carved stone in order to create
a step design consisting of numerous statues of deities, kings, and dancers.
7) Konark Sun Temple - Konark Sun Temple is a 13th-century Sun Temple (also known as
the Black Pagoda), at Konark, in Orissa. It was built in red sandstone (Khandolite) and
black granite by King Narasimhadeva I (AD 1236-1264) of the Eastern Ganga Dynasty.
The temple is one of the most well renowned temples in India and is a World Heritage
Site. Other temples of Orissa are Sri Jagannath temple, of Puri, Lingraj temple of
Bhubaneswar which is known as Ekamra Nagari, the temple City of Orissa.

8) Vastu Shastra - Vishwakarmas are the creators of this ancient Indian system of
architectural design that has gained national and international respect and following.
Vaastu Shastra deals with various aspects of designing and building living environments
that are in harmony with the physical and metaphysical forces.
9) Mahabodhi Temple - The Mahabodhi Temple (Literally: "Great Awakening Temple") is a
Buddhist temple in Bodh Gaya, the location where Siddhartha Gautama, the Buddha,
attained enlightenment. Bodh Gaya is located about 96 km (60 miles) from Patna, Bihar
state, India.
10) Indian rock-cut architecture - Indian rock-cut architecture is more various and
found in greater abundance than any other form of rock-cut architecture around the
world.

11) Ellora Caves - Ellora represents the epitome of Indian rock-cut architecture.The 34
"caves" – Buddhist, Hindu and Jain temples and monasteries excavated out of the vertical
face of the Charanandri hills – were built between the 5th century and 10 th century. The
12 Buddhist (caves 1-12), 17 Hindu (caves 13-29) and 5 Jain caves (caves 30-34), built in
 proximity, demonstrate the religious harmony prevalent during this period of Indian
history.
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12) Ajanta Caves - Ajanta Caves in Maharashtra, India are rock-cut cave monuments dating
from the second century BCE, containing paintings and sculpture considered to be
masterpieces of both "Buddhist religious art" and "universal pictorial art". Since 1983, the
Ajanta Caves have been a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

12) Mahabalipuram - The monuments are mostly rock-cut and monolithic, and
constitute the early stages of Dravidian architecture wherein Buddhist elements of design
are prominently visible. They are constituted by cave temples, monolithic rathas
(chariots), sculpted reliefs and structural temples. The pillars are of the Dravidian order.
The sculptures are excellent examples of Pallava art. It is believed that this area served as
a school for young sculptors. The different sculptures, some half finished, may have been
examples of different styles of architecture, probably demonstrated by instructors and
practiced on by young students. This can be seen in the Pancha Rathas where each Ratha
is sculpted in a different style.

13) Badami Cave Temples - The Badami Cave Temples are composed of four caves, all
carved out of the soft Badami sandstone on a hill cliff in the late 6th century. The four
caves are simple in style. The entrance is a verandah with stone columns and brackets, a
distinctive feature of these caves, leading to a columned mantapa and then to the small
square shrine (sanctum sanctorum) cut deep into the cave. The temple caves represent
different religious sects. Among them, two are dedicated to Lord Vishnu, one to Lord
Shiva and the fourth is a Jain temple. The first three are devoted to the Vedic faith and
the fourth cave is the only Jain temple at Badami.

15) Pancha Rathas - Pancha Rathas an example of monolith Indian rock-cut architecture
dating from the late 7th century located at Mamallapuram, a tiny village south of Madras in
the state of Tamil Nadu, India. The village was a busy port during the 7th and 8th century
reign of the Pallava dynasty. The site is famous for the rock-cut caves and the sculptured
rock that line a granite hill, including one depicting Arjuna's Penance. It has been classified
as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Pancha Rathas shrines were carved during the reign
of King Mahendravarman I and his son Narasimhavarman I. Each temple is a monolith,
carved whole from a rock outcropping of pink granite. The five monolithic pyramidal
structured shrines are named after the Pandavas (Arjuna, Bhima, Yudhishtra, Nakula and
Sahadeva) and Draupadi. As noted, each shrine is not assembled from cut rock but carved
from one single large piece of stone. It is likely their original design traces back to wood
constructions.

16) Indian art - The vast scope of the art of India intertwines with the cultural history,
religions and philosophies which place art production and patronage in social and cultural
contexts.

17) Indian painting - Somewhere around 1st century BC the Sadanga or Six Limbs of
Indian Painting, were evolved, a series of canons laying down the main principles of the art.
Vatsyayana, who lived during the third century A.D., enumerates these in his Kamasutra
having extracted them from still more ancient works. These ‘Six Limbs’ have been translated
as follows: 1. Rupabheda The knowledge of appearances. 2. Pramanam Correct perception,
measure and structure. 3. Bhava Action of feelings on forms.

(P/5)

4. Lavanya Yojanam Infusion of grace, artistic representation. 5. Sadrisyam Similitude. 6.

Varnikabhanga Artistic manner of using the brush and colours. (Tagore.) The subsequent
development of painting by the Buddhists indicates that these ' Six Limbs ' were put into
practice by Indian artists, and are the .basic principles on which their art was founded.

18) Buddhist art - Buddhist art originated on the Indian subcontinent following the
historical life of Gautama Buddha, 6th to 5th century BCE, and thereafter evolved by contact
with other cultures as it spread throughout Asia and the world.

19) Indian coinage - The Vishwakarma Brahmins minted beautiful coins displaying great
artistic talent.

20) History of metallurgy in the Indian subcontinent - History of metallurgy in the

Indian subcontinent begins during the 2nd millennium BCE and continues well into the British
Raj. The Indian cultural and commercial contacts with the Near East and the Greco-Roman
world enable an exchange of metallurgic sciences.

21) History of Indian Science and Technology - The History of Science and Technology
in India begins in the pre-modern era. Archaeological evidence from Mehrgarh (7000 BCE)
shows construction of mud brick houses and granaries. Farming, metal working, flint
knapping, bead production, and dentistry, are known to the people of Mehrgarh. The more
advanced Indus Valley civilization yields evidence of hydrography, metrology and city
planning being practiced on a sizable scale. Great attention to medicine, astronomy and
mathematics is seen during the Vedic period (1500 BCE—400 BCE)—which also witnesses the
first inquiry being made into the field of linguistics. Construction of stepwells and stupas, use
of diamond as a gemstone, and plastic surgery operations become visible during later
periods. Indian mathematicians made early contributions to the study of the decimal number
system, zero, negative numbers, arithmetic, and algebra.

22) Jaivana cannon - The Jaivana cannon is the largest wheeled cannon ever constructed.
It is located at the Jaigarh Fort, Jaipur.

23) Yantra Mandir - The Yantra Mandir (commonly known as the Jantar Mantar) is an
equinoctial dial, consisting a gigantic triangular gnomon with the hypotenuse parallel to the
Earth's axis. On either side of the gnomon is a quadrant of a circle, parallel to the plane of the
equator. The instrument is intended to measure the time of day, correct to half a second and
declination of the Sun and the other heavenly bodies.

24) Khajuraho Temples - The Khajuraho temples, constructed with spiral superstructures,
adhere to a northern Indian shikhara temple style and often to a Panchayatana plan or
layout. A few of the temples are dedicated to the Jain pantheon and the rest to Hindu deities
- to God's Trio, Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva, and various Devi forms, such as the Devi
Jagadambi temple. A Panchayatana temple had four subordinate shrines on four corners and
the main shrine in the center of the podium, which comprises their base. The temples are
grouped into three geographical divisions: western, eastern and southern. With a graded rise
secondary shikharas (spires) cluster to create an appropriate base for the main shikhara over
the sanctum. Kandariya Mahadeva, one of the most accomplished temples of the Western
group, comprises eighty-four shikharas, the main being 116 feet from the ground level.
These temples of
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Khajuraho have sculptures that look very realistic and are studied even today. The Khajuraho
temples are UNESCO World Heritage Site.

25) Wootz steel - Wootz is steel characterized by a pattern of bands or sheets of micro
carbides within a tempered martensite or pearlite matrix. It was developed in India around
300 BC. Relevance of 17th September (Vishwakarma Pujan) - As we all know, Without
Labour laborer is meaningless. 1st May is being celebrated as a National occasion
worldwide with much grandeur, where as Chicago city only observes in memoriam of
that incident took place on 3rd may 1886 quite perfunctorily. In India it has been aped
without knowing the reality. In present context of huge industrialization the relevance
of 17th September is much more rather, it is indianised.

The ambit of 17th September is much wider and relevant in comparison to 1st
May, which marks the martyrdom of handful of workers in protest against their
demand of 08 working hours against 12 working hours. This is a myth those
celebrating ‘1st May’ have yet not implemented this 8 working hours in letter and spirit.
Almost all have realized the importance and relevance of thi s day. The govt. of India
(Established by the Planning Commission and the Construction Industry) has
instituted various Vishwakarma awards being inspired by the spirit of construction
and creation patronized by Lord Vishwakarma the ruling deity of construction practices
in India as a mark of respect. Even the then railway Minister Laloo Prasad Yadav who
is quite famous for his on and off extempore had admitted this importance of Lord
Vishwakarma as a panacea for much ailing railway Industries. on September 18th
2004 at Chennai, Union Railway Minister Laloo Prasad Yadav says that train
accidents in the country have come down in recent months, and that it is not because
of any special safety measures but because a picture of Lord Viswakarma has been
kept at his office in Rail Bhawan in New Delhi. Laloo, who is here to inaugurate
railway projects in various parts of Tamil Nadu, said today at a press conference here:
I pray to him (Viswakarma) daily. You direct me (in running the Railways), I tell
Viswakarma, and so there are no rail accidents now. There are, however, some minor
derailments, he hastened to concede.

Lord Vishwakarma symbolizes devotion, determination and dedication all important

ingredients of Nation Building. All the working class people especially
Indians are to be inspired by this ruling deity of KARMA for larger interest of building a
strong and vibrant Nation. This is quite high time the effort in this direction is to be
initiated from self, so that this will be universalized. It will be the best and truest
homage and respect to Lord Vishwakarma. The day is not far off the relevance of 17 th
September will be Universalized.

Human Resource Department

Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh, Orissa
9439020587, badal.bms@gmail.com
Railway safety..? Laloo leaves it to Viswakarma. Exp News Service,Sep 19, Sep.
2004 CHENNAI,:-
Union Railway Minister Laloo Prasad Yadav says that train accidents in the country
have come down in recent months, and that it is not because of any special safety
measures but because a picture of Lord Viswakarma has been kept at his office in Rail
Bhawan in New Delhi. Laloo, who is here to inaugurate railway projects in various parts
of Tamil Nadu, said today at a press conference here: I pray to him (Viswakarma) daily.
You direct me (in running the Railways), I tell Viswakarma, and so there are no rail
accidents now. There are, however, some minor derailments, he hastened to concede.
VISHWAKARMA AWARDS: - Organized by, Construction Industry Development
Council,
Vishwakarma Awards are meant to motivate individuals’ and organizations’ contribution
in construction domain and to promote replicable best Practices in the Indian
construction industry. CIDC has initiated these awards which recognize and honor the
valuable contributions and work of Indian Construction Fraternity that has significantly
enriched the construction domain and has helped bring about a change in our
construction practices. In continuation of our tradition to honor the super achievers of
the construction fraternity, we have instituted the Vishwakarma Awards which reflect the
true spirit of creation and recognition of excellence in the way we practice our
profession. Each year, this event is celebrated on 7th March which is also the
foundation day of Construction Industry Development Council. The first
Vishwakarma Award ceremony held on 7th March 2009 was hugely successful and 33
Awards were given in various categories. It may be kindly noted that Construction
Industry Development Council (CIDC) was established in 1996 by the Planning
Commission, Govt. of India along with the constituents of Indian Construction Industry,
as the apex organization to professionalize and improve the functioning of the industry.
CIDC recognizes the role of a national award for motivation and improved performance
of individual workers, artisans and field supervisors (Upto diploma level) and has
conceived the Vishwakarma Awards as an award of Excellence in the following
categories:
Award Categories:
1. Achievement Award for Social upliftment Code A
2. Achievement Award for an Industry Doyen Code B
3. Achievement Award for a Public Officer Code C
4. Achievement Award for Academician / Technologist Code D
5. Best Professionally Managed Company
- Category – C (Turnover > Rs. 500 Cr.) Code D1
- Category – B (Turnover 500 Rs. to 100 Cr.) Code D2
- Category – A (Turnover < Rs. 100 Cr.) Code D3
- Category – S Entrepreneur Code D4
6. Artisans 10 Awards Code D5 to D14
The Awards cover the entire spectrum of Indian Construction Industry and all stakeholders both
from
public and private sector including NGOs are encouraged to participate in the process and send
their
nominations subject to a maximum of one nomination per category as per the categories
mentioned
above.
For more details, please contact:
Shri P R Swarup, Director General
Construction Industry Development Council (CIDC)
801, Hemkunt Chambers, 89, Nehru Place, New Delhi - 110 019
Phone: 011- 26433709, 26451766, 26234770; Fax: 011- 26234770, 26451604
Email: cidc@