Vishwakarma Pooja

Vishwakarma Pooja & Govardhan Pooja

The fourth day of Diwali, ie the day after Diwali, falls on Padyami, the first day of the lunar New Year, and is called Vishvakarma Day/ Gudi Padwa/Govardhan Puja. This year Vishwakarma Pooja is on 29th October.

Vishwakarma Pooja: The day is celebrated to worship Vishwakarma. Vishvakarma was the divine architect, and one of the fourteen precious things born of the Samudra Manthan (the churning of the ocen to gain Amrita, the nectar of immortality). He constructed the holy city of Dwarka where Lord Krishna ruled, The Maya Sabha of the Pandavas and was the creator of many fabulous weapons for the gods. This day is often used by manufacturers to pray for their equipment so that it works well and makes profit during the year ahead.

Govardhana Puja. Govardhan is a small hillock in Braj, near Mathura and on this day of Diwali people of North India build cow dung, hillocks, decorate them with flowers and then worship them. This festival is in commemoration of the lifting of Mount Govardhan by Krishna. As per Vishnu-Puran the people of Gokul used to celebrate a festival in honor of Lord Indra and worshiped him after the end of every monsoon season but one particular year the young Krishna stopped them from offering prayers to Lord Indra and asked them to worship cattle instead. Indra in terrific anger sent a deluge to submerge Gokul. People were afraid that the downpour was a result of their neglect of Indra. But Krishna assured them that no harm would befall them. He lifted Mount Govardhan with his little finger and sheltered men and beasts from the rain. This gave him the name Govardhandhari.

It is also on this day that the King Bali would come out of Pathal Loka and rule the earth for one day as per the boon given by Lord Vishnu. Hence, it is also known as "Bali Padyami".

This day also marks the coronation of King Vikramaditya and Vikarama-Samvat - the counting of the Vikram era, was started from this Padwa day.

Gudi Padwa is symbolic of love and devotion between the wife and husband. On this day newly-married daughters with their husbands are invited for special meals and given presents. In olden days brothers went to fetch their sisters from their in-laws
home for this important day.