Bishwakarma puja -- blessing the equipment. Pix 3.

[Bill Martino]

If you think this is not a serious occasion just take a look at the expression on Sgt. Karka's face.

After the shop got cleaned and tidied up, Sgt. Karka changed to civvies and removed his boots. The cow is sacred to the Hindu and wearing a pair of leather boots or shoes is unacceptable during the blessing of the equipment.

EVERYTHING gets blessed, anvils, grinders, hammers, tongs, everything. The tools and equipment must be properly blessed or Sri Bishwakarma will just pass on by and all is lost.

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Blessings from the computer shack in Reno.

Uncle Bill
Himalayan Imports Website
Khukuri FAQ

 

[Ice]

Great pix Bill. We were talking about this the other day and I found out that cattle were sacred but not waterbuffilo. Why are cattle considered sacred again? I have heard but could not remember.

 

[Steven F]

Another question, Uncle Bill -- what does the pigment consist of and what is the significance of the colors?

 

[gtkguy]

This reminds me - back home in the Sikkim-Darjeeling region, even the local bodybuilding gyms participated in the annual Bishwakarma Pujas - they worked with iron and I guess that's why Bishwakarma was regarded as a deity of the gym. On the Puja day, all the weights, bars and benches were blessed in the same manner as shown in the pictures above.

And on the main day of Dashera in the Gorkha Rifles, all the weapons of the battalion are stacked in a square near the sacrificial post and before the sacrifice these tools-of-the-trade are blessed in a similar manner.

Just thought some of you might find that of some interest.

- Sonam

 

[Rusty]

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