KATHMANDU: A two-day Bishwakarma Puja began here today. Also known as Biswakarma Jayanti, the Hindu festival is dedicated to the lord of machinery.

On the first day of the festival, a clay idol of Lord Bishwakarma is placed in the open.

All the workers, particularly those operating machinery, make offerings to the deity adorned with flowers and vermilion.

On the concluding day, devotees take a procession round the city with the image in a carriage to be laid on a riverside.

Hindu mythology has it that the Lord Bishwakarma is the architect of the universe.

His references are found in the Rigveda and is credited with Sthapatya Veda, the science of machines and architecture.

Artisans, craftsmen, mechanics, smiths, welders, industrial workers and factory workers observe the day praying for safe working conditions, smooth functioning of the machinery and the longevity of the lives of machines and tools.