History
Lord Vishwakarma is a divine engineer of the world. He is the Hindu Creator of engineers, architects, industrial houses, mechanical workshops, artists, and craftsmen. He is the creator of agriculture, gold ornaments, utensils and idols making tools given to mankind. He is the official architect of all the palaces including heaven. He is the personification of creation and the principal architect of the Universe. The Rig Veda mentions him as the abstract form of God and the Ultimate Reality. The Upanishads mention him as the root concept of Brahmin and Purusha. His vahana is the elephant.
According to the Gregorian calendar, Vishawakarma Jayanthi galls in mid September. Sculptures in temples and scriptures depict him with four hands holding a water-pot, a book, a noose and craftsman’s tools and seated in an elephant. The Yajur Veda mentions him as Prajapati. He is known as Pasupati in the Atharva Veda.
Hindu scriptures describe many of Vishwakarma’s architectural accomplishments. Through the four yugas (Eons) of Hindu mythology), he had built several towns and temples for the gods. Among them were, in chronological order, Svarga (Heaven) in the Satya Yuga, Lanka in the treta Yuga, and Dwarka (Krishna’s capital) in the dwapara Yuga.
Vishwakarma Architectural Wonders
- Swarg (Heaven) in Satya Yuga
- Sudarshana Chakra (The weapon of Bhagawan Vishnu)
- Lanka in Treta Yuga and Pushpaka Vimanam (A vehicle that flies in the sky)
- Dwaraka, Hastinapur, Indraprashtha at the end of Dwapara Yuga.
- Created the weapon Vajra for Indra, the King of the Devs. Using this weapon Indra defeated the Asuras and reclaimed heaven.
- Meenakshi Amman Temple, Madurai, Tamil Nadu
- Dwaraka (Kingdom of Bhagawan Shri Krishna), Gujarat
- Kailasanatha Temple, Ellora, Maharashtra
- Shri Jagannath Temple, Puri, Odisha
- Hoysaleshwara Temple, Halebidu, Karnataka
- Ellora Caves, Verul, Maharashtra
- Trishul (The weapon of Bhagawan Shiva)