[Assam] Vishwakarma - Lord of Architecture

[Pradip Kumar Datta]

Vishwakarma - Lord of ArchitectureBy Subhamoy Das, About.com

The Divine Draftsman: Vishwakarma
is the presiding deity of all craftsmen and architects. Son of Brahma,
he is the divine draftsman of the whole universe, and the official
builder of all the gods' palaces. Vishwakarma is also the designer of
all the flying chariots of the gods, and all their weapons.The Mahabharata describes
him as "The lord of the arts, executor of a thousand handicrafts, the
carpenter of the gods, the most eminent of artisans, the fashioner of
all ornaments ... and a great and immortal god." He has four hands,
wears a crown, loads of gold jewelry, and holds a water-pot, a book, a
noose and craftsman's tools in his hands.
Vishwakarma Puja: Hindus
widely regard Vishwakarma as the god of architecture and engineering,
and September 16 or 17 every year is celebrated as Vishwakarma Puja — a
resolution time for workers and craftsmen to increase productivity and
gain divine inspiration for creating novel products. 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.Vishwakarma's Architectural Wonders: Hindu
mythology is full of Vishwakarma's many architectural wonders. Through
the four 'yugas', he had built several towns and palaces for the gods.
In "Satya yuga", he built the Swarg Loke, or heaven, the abode
of the gods and demigods where Lord Indra rules. Vishwakarma then built
the 'Sone ki Lanka' in "Treta yuga", the city of Dwarka in "Dwapar
yuga", and Hastinapur and Indraprastha in the "Kali yuga".

'Sone Ki Lanka' or Golden 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 Vishwakarma to build a beautiful palace
for them to reside. Vishwakarma 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.Dwarka: Among
the many mythical 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 nothern India has become a well
known pilgrimage for the Hindus.Hastinapur: In
the present "Kali Yuga", Vishwakarma 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.Indraprastha: Vishwakarma also built the town of Indraprastha for the Pandavas. 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 Vishwakarma 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 Pandava wife Draupadi, who witnessed
this scene, had a good laugh! She retorted, hinting at Duryodhan's
father (the blind king Dhritrashtra) "the son of a blind man is bound
to be blind." This remark 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.

details here:
http://hindufestivalsofindia.blogspot.com/2008/09/vishwakarma-lord-of-architecture.html