Mysore/Mysuru: “Vishwakarma created the world and  the celebration of Vishwakarma Jayanti should not be limited to just one community, but should be celebrated by all communities,” opined former Mayor Sandesh Swamy.

He was speaking at a function organised jointly by Jeevadhara Blood Bank and Devaraja Mohalla Nagarika Vedike to celebrate Vishwakarma Jayanti on Tuesday.

Many veteran artisans who are practicing and continuing sculpture as a profession for the last 35 years were felicitated on the occasion. The sculptors who were felicitated are M.S. Somachar, Keshvamurthy, S.N. Manjachar, Siddappa, Ravishankar, Anilkumar, Nagendra, Satishmurthy, Vasantkumar and Anand.

District Kannada Sahitya Parishat President Madikere Gopal who spoke on the occasion pointed out that Vishwakarma community has designed art, ammunitions, weapons and machineries. ”The credit of creating  Pushpaka Vimana at a time when there was no concept of aeroplane should go to the Vishwakarmas. The contribution of the community to the nation building is immense,” he observed.

Stating that both Bramha and Vishwakarma are creators, Gopal said there is a practice in the society to compare Vishwakarmas to Bramha. Those who know all the 64 arts are called as Vishwakarmas. In Sanskrit, Vishwakarma means one who can achieve everything. Vishwakarma community has a rich tradition of mythology and history, he opined.

Vishwakarma community leader Rishi Vishwakarma appealed the Government to give monthly pensions to artisans of the community, who are solely depending on the community’s profession for their livelihood, once they attain 60 years of age. The Government should provide 2 acres land to the Vishwakarma community and Rs.3 crore to build Vishwakarma Community Bhavan, he concluded.

Corporator S. Ramani, Jeevadhara Blood Bank Director Girish, Archakara Sangha President Krishnamurthy, Vishwakarma Jayanthotsava Samithi President O. Mogannachar, Vishwakarma Development Board Director Sinduvalli Lokesh and others were present on the occasion.