Meet Sri Bishwakarma and learn a little about the puja. Pix. I hope.

Bill Martino

Bill Martino

Joined
Mar 5, 1999
Messages
34,096
ffd5309b.jpg.orig.jpg


This is a first of a series of pix I'll be posting on Bishwakarma Puja which involves a lot of blessings of me, men of BirGorkha, equipment and khukuris.

This is Sri Bishwakarma, Lord of the kamis.
As best as I could get it from the kamis when the world was young there was no metal or tools. Bishwakarma discovered metal and how to make tools from it. Because this proved to be such a great blessing for the populace of the world Bishwakarma was made a Hindu god and here he is -- when he was a kid and when he became old and wise. Notice the many tools and metal objects in this artistic rendition.

You will see Sri Bishwakarma again when I start posting pix of the actual puja.

I will not post publicly the sacrificail beheading of the goat but I have the pix (not taken by me) which I will be happy to email to anybody privately who wishes to view it. The khukuri used for the beheading was the Ganga Ram by Bura and Sgt. Karka did the honors with one easy blow.

------------------
Blessings from the computer shack in Reno.

Uncle Bill
Himalayan Imports Website
Khukuri FAQ
 
I would like to see the pics, I know that it gruesome, but it goes al ong with the fact that I am studying Hinduism right now. Thank you Sir.

------------------
"Clear a path for the Kukhri or it will clear one for itself"
 
Uncle,
In all of Sri Bishwakarma's mantle there are no weapons among all his other metal objects. There is not a khukuri, khandar, kora or tulwar indicating his power within metal for construction as well as destruction. What do the kamis say about this if anything?

------------------
JP
 
I think those are all tools used in metalworking rather than products of metalworking -- that's why no weapons.

-Cougar :{)


[This message has been edited by Cougar Allen (edited 03-03-2000).]
 
Pix are coming through just fine.



------------------
Harry

L'audace, toujours l'audace!!!
 
Cougar, check the pic on the right (young version). At 9:00 there's a padlock and if I'm not mistaken, at 3:00 there's a mason's goop-spreader tool. Those are the most obvious non-metalworking items.

The "older version" seems to have a wood saw somewhere near 2:00; at about 7:00 younger has a knife? Hard to tell.

Bill, is it possible the pictures are Indian, and therefore don't reflect the "connection" to the Khukuri? I mean ya, there's Indian Khuks, but it's not a "deep part of the culture"?

Jim
 
I think the thing that looks like a padlock is a pot used to melt metal for casting. I'm not sure what the goop-spreader is for....

-Cougar :{)
 
Uncle,

Please email me the pics--morbid curiosity strikes again. Thanks.

Rob
 
Hmmmm...Cougar, you could be right about the "padlock". Not certain.

The pic on the right is surprisingly "modern". That giant gear in the "young" background can't be traditional, neither are open-ended box wrenches or any of several others.

That especially makes me think it's Indian. Can't be sure, but I'd guess a Nepalese version would be more "traditional looking"?

WAITasec...look at the faces on both pics. They sure as hell don't look much like Pala or the kamis, do they? They look like Indians (the real kind
smile.gif
). If these pics are from India, that alone would explain no Khuks - Khukuris are NOT considered "pure weapons" and a Nepalese set of metalcrafts should contain them even if there's a "no weapons" tradition in such displays. There's no swords here either, a traditional metalcraft in both India and Nepal.

(scratches head)

It's odd, ain't it? Mind you, it's no stranger than any other faith...
smile.gif


Jim
 
That is _really_ cool.

Now I know who to pray to when I try to sharpen these things!

I haven't been hanging around here for a _real_ long time, but has there been some problem in the past with posting pictures of a Hindu religious tradition? It doesn't bother me, anyway.

Sadly, I will be off-line again for a few days so I will have to wait to see whatever answer is forthcoming. My e-mail has also been messed up since I left Portland, so that won't work either.
frown.gif


Also, how are them there katars coming along Uncle Bill? (I still need to give you my new address in Phoenix, so if they come in in the next few days, please don't ship mine to Portland...)

Hmmm... Seeing as kamis traditionally made all kinds of tools and not just khukuris, I wonder if there would be any kind of a market for other kami handicrafts. A handmade lock might be especially cool.

-Dave
 
Hi All,
The pic on the right is very modern: notice the dynamo at the bottom and the sewing machine at upper right corner. The knife is at lower right coener and yes, that is an old style padlock at nine o'clock.
Dan
 
Uncle Bill, I'll take a picture of the beheading when you can too. Thanks!

Vince

------------------
Stay sharp and be Safe!
------- ---- ---------
That which does not kill us only makes us stronger.
F.W. Nietzche
 
Uncle Bill,

Thanks for not posting the pictures of the beheading. It's interesting enough it was accomplished at one stroke of the Ganga Ram. I'm not a Buddhist, but think all life is precious (especially to the being possessing it!).

I don't think less of the Kamis because of this. We sacrifice thousands of beasts to that "Big Mac" god. I eat meat myself, so I guess I belong to the biggest religious sect of all, "Hypocracy."

To be honest, I haven't worked out these things in my own mind, and maybe never will.

Some questions, though.

Do the Kamis sacrifice "to" a specific deity?

Why do they think the deity wants the sacrifice?

They ate the goat? Goat recipe? Did you try it?

What do they think of their religion? Surely they know there are other religions--what do they think of them? Hinduism (I think) is a stew of nature and local religious elements, and not really a religion as we think of it. Do the Kamis differentiate their religion from other "Hindu" sects?

I guess I'd just enjoy hearing your observations as I have in the past, maybe in a separate thread sometime in the future.

By the way, the pictures and the commentary are great!

Actually, I hope this whole forum is preserved. There are things in it not just from you, Uncle Bill, but also from Yvsa, Rusty, and all the rest of the HIKV infected tribe.

Chris
 
First of all, I've tried to send pix to all those who asked for them. If you did not get them email me personally and I'll send them.

Second, these pictures are for your own viewing and are not to be published anywhere. I do not want to offend anybody who is intolerant of Hindu religious practices.

I will post pix of the cleansing and blessing of the goat and I'll show him being cooked after the sacrifice but the actual killing I did not view myself and Gelbu took the pix.

While the head was coming off I stood at the door of the shop, praying for the soul of the goat in Buddhist fashion. The Hindu kamis knew that I was a Buddhist and respected my belief and practice as I did theirs and held no hard feelings because I did not participate in the actual sacrifice. I did, however, participate in every other aspect of the puja.

Bishwakarma puja is extremely important to the kamis and is taken very seriously. They do this ceremony on a regular basis and once or twice a year give a few drops of their own blood as part of the ritual. I was greatly impressed by their devotion. The are in general very religious men.

These pictures of Sri Bishwakarma are Indian as far as I know and are obviously of modern artistic interpretation.

Dave, katars are in the pipeline. Where I'm not sure.

Have I missed anything?

------------------
Blessings from the computer shack in Reno.

Uncle Bill
Himalayan Imports Website
Khukuri FAQ
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top