It was not so long ago when ‘bho katta’ sound started to arouse everyone in Kolkata since the early morning on the day of Vishwakarma Puja. The fun of flying a kite and competing with a neighbour in it was an awesome entertainment for the young and old alike.
The romance with petkati and chandial (names of kite designs) prompted even Kabir Suman to write a song on it.
However, there is a definite decline in kite-flying in Kolkata in recent days. But if you go to Howrah, Hooghly, and the fringe areas of Kolkata, you will surely see colourful kites in the sky with shouts of ‘bho katta’ on Vishwakarma Puja, the day kite-flying is de rigueur.
Big Day for Factory Workers and Engineers
Vishwakarma is known as the world’s first architect and engineer, who helped build a lot of structures and laid the foundation stone when the universe was developing. It is also said that Lord Vishwakarma is the one who created heaven, the holy city of Dwarka, and even Hastinapur. In the Rig Veda, He is known as the creator of the world, the science of mechanics and architecture.
Before starting or inaugurating a factory, Lord Vishwakarma is always worshipped. Hence, the day has special significance for those in the line of manufacturing and machine industry. Artists, craftsmen, industrialists, businessmen, and factory owners and operators pay special regard and hold a puja in their specific work premises. It is believed that worshiping Lord Vishwakarma increases business. Workers also pray for the smooth functioning of various machines.
The day passes in prayer, festivities, and a big feast to round it off.
If Vishwakarma Puja is Here, Can the Pujas be Far Behind?
Vishwakarma Puja, held on the last day of Hindu month Bhadra, heralds the long Sharodiya Puja season. The mundane living is suddenly disrupted with the sounds of dhak and the blaring of mikes on ubiquitous pandals, and you know that the Pujas are not far behind.
Durga Puja is not just a festival; it is a part of Kolkata’s soul. Everyone looks forward to these days wistfully all through the year.
The immersive festivities engulf every mind, and new hopes fill up the hearts of even the most dejected.
Traders and businessmen look forward to doing a major part of the annual business during this period, as shopping gathers momentum as everyone suddenly wakes up, realizing that the Pujas are knocking at the doors.
Worries are High this Year
This year, the norms for social distancing in the Covid-19 pandemic environment can seriously dampen the festive spirits. Puja shopping in shopping centres, malls, and markets is a very low key affair so far with a thin number of shoppers. The economic damage worries everyone, and most business owners are a worried lot.
In an environment of a raging pandemic, we will probably be bound to curtail the social interaction to a minimum this year.
The undying Kolkata spirit, however, will beat the virus with appropriate precautions. The tradition must continue.
