Young Hindu priest marks a motorcycle with a sandalwood substitute during a ceremony known as Vishwakarma Ayudha Puja, India

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Vishwakarma Ayudha Puja is for the Hindu deity Vishwakarma the Architect god. On this day workmen worship of their tools. All the tools ,machines etc are cleaned ,painted and well polished after which they are smeared with sandalwood paste and vermilion with great care. Hindus carry out this pooja with all tools and mechanical goods. People have their cars and vehicles blessed, shops have their tills blessed even cement mixers on building sites can be seen being blessed by priests. In this image a young boy priest is marking vehicle wheels before a more senior priest blesses then with arti or fire pooja. In the South of India this festival is performed during Dasara.

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Size: 5200px × 3467px
Photo credit: © Louise Batalla Duran / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No

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