Biswakarma Puja is annually held in Bengal on September 17, the final day of Bhadra month. But at Begampur area of Chanditala in Hooghly district, the celebration takes place for four days starting from Shukla Paksha Navami tithi in Poush month. Apart from Hooghly, the weaver communities of Gopinathpur in Bankura, and Santipur and Phulia in Nadia also perform Vishwakarma Puja in the month of Poush (December - January). In 2025, this Biswakarma Puja is from December 29.
The Reason For Performing Biswakarma Puja In Poush Month
In the Begampur area of Chanditala in Hooghly district live
many weaver families. The loom, being a machine, requires divine blessings —
hence, those who weave cloth also seek Vishwakarma’s grace. But during the
month of Bhadra, Durga Puja looms large — the weavers are flooded with work and
demand, leaving them with no time for celebration during the traditional
Vishwakarma Puja.
Yet, could they abandon the worship of their divine
craftsman? Naturally, they found their own solution. Around 70–75 years ago,
two weavers from the small village of Chhoto Tajpur Kathaltala in Begampur —
Shobhi Sen and Nimai Kundu — crafted an idol themselves and began worshipping
Vishwakarma on the Navami Tithi of the Shukla Paksha (waxing phase of the moon)
in the month of Poush. Since then, this “untimely” Vishwakarma Puja has
continued.
Over time, the number of such celebrations increased — what
began as private worships gradually became community (barowari) festivals.
Today, in Begampur and its surrounding areas, more than thirty Vishwakarma
Pujas are held, celebrated over four days with fairs and festivities.
Horse As Vehicle Of Biswakarma
However, the idol of Vishwakarma here is slightly different from those seen elsewhere. The sound of the loom’s shuttle resembles the clatter of a horse’s hooves — and so, in Begampur, Vishwakarma’s mount is not the traditional elephant but a horse.