In workshops across the country this week, mechanics will wipe down their tools and set them aside, just for a day. Weavers will do the same with their looms, blacksmiths with their hammers and potters with their wheels. As the Sun moves into Virgo, factories and workshops take a pause, all in honour of Vishwakarma Jayanti. 

Vishwakarma is the divine architect and engineer of the universe, the craftsman behind the gods’ creations. He is remembered as the maker of Lanka, later seized by Ravana, and of the flying chariot, Pushpak Vimana, fashioned for Kubera before it passed through other hands. He is said to have built Dwarka for Krishna and Indraprastha for the Pandavas, working in the Mahabharata alongside the illusionist-architect Maya. He forged Indra’s thunderbolt from the bones of the sage Dadhichi, shaped Shiva’s trident and Vishnu’s discus, and is even credited with carving the wooden forms of Jagannath and his siblings, still worshipped today at Puri. He is usually depicted with four arms, holding a measuring scale, a water pot, a book and a set of tools, each object an ode to the precision, learning and patience that true craftsmanship demands. 

It is fitting, then, that this festival finds its home not in temples but in workplaces. Engineers, architects, mechanics, weavers, potters and factory workers see this as their day to pay tribute to the tools of their trade. The rituals begin early, with workspaces swept and decorated with flowers, buntings and rangoli, while machinery, instruments and vehicles are washed, garlanded and set aside, unused, for the day. An idol or framed image of Vishwakarma is installed on a small altar, often adorned with marigolds and mango leaves, and the community gathers for a puja led by a priest or by senior workers themselves. Sweets, fruits and incense are offered, along with prayers that ask not for wealth or victory but for skill, safety and the steady inspiration to keep creating. In many workplaces, the day carries a festive, almost holiday air: colleagues share a meal together, children are sometimes brought along to see their parents’ tools honoured, and kite-flying is a popular pastime in parts of the country, with skies over industrial towns filling with colour for the occasion. 

The date and manner of celebration shift depending on where you are. In large parts of northern and western India, it falls on 17 September nearly every year, tied to the fixed solar movement of Kanya Sankranti (the day the Sun moves into Virgo), unlike most Hindu festivals that follow the lunar calendar. In eastern India, particularly West Bengal, Bihar, Jharkhand and Odisha, it is instead observed the day after Diwali. In Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, the spirit of the day often merges with Ayudha Puja, when tools and instruments are worshipped as part of the larger Navratri celebrations. Across these regional variations, the underlying idea remains the same: a recognition that behind every machine, building and object lies human effort worth honouring. 

In a world increasingly shaped by automation and technology, Vishwakarma Jayanti honours the craftsmen and artists of the world, and helps us remember that care, learning and imagination sit at the heart of every act of creation. It gives workers, so often unseen in the busyness of production, a day when their labour is treated with reverence and gratitude. Whether in a small roadside garage or a sprawling factory floor, the day offers a pause where effort is not simply expected but celebrated.

Read more stories about Indian Mythology, History and Culture on our very own ACK Comics App. 

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The end of winter is when winter crops such as sugarcane, wheat, and sesame are harvested across the country. The harvest of these crops is traditionally celebrated across the country, as Makar Sankranti in many North and South Indian states, Pongal in Tamil Nadu, Magh Bihu in Assam, and Lohri in Punjab and neighbouring regions. Each celebration is shaped by its own landscape, language, and local customs and has its own name and traditions, but the spirit remains the same, of celebrating this period of abundance and renewal. 

Another common thread that links all these festivals together is Uttarayan, the period when the sun begins its northward movement in the sky, marking the transition from winter to longer, warmer days. In many traditions, this shift is seen as an auspicious turning point, associated with new beginnings, which is why the bonfires, offerings, and prayers across these festivals are often dedicated to the sun and the forces of nature that sustain life. 

Assam marks the end of the rice harvest with Magh Bihu, which is also known as Bhogali Bihu. Communities gather to construct ceremonial thatched huts called ‘Bhelaghars’ and huge, towering bonfires called ‘Meji’ made from the harvested hay. On ‘Uruka’, the evening before Magh Bihu, the festivities begin, culminating in the burning of the Meji fires at dawn. 

For many communities in Assam, the Meji fire symbolises Bheeshma’s funeral pyre in the Mahabharata. Bheeshma was defeated in the war but lay waiting for his death 58 days until Uttarayan believing it to be a time of liberation and renewal. The Meji is symbolic to of Bheeshma’s funeral pyre, a fire that marks his sacred time of passing, tying the harvest ritual to collective Indian mythology. 

In Tamil Nadu, harvest is celebrated as the four-day long Pongal, centred around giving thanks to the forces of nature, with freshly harvested rice taking prominence. Each of the four days has its own rituals, focusing on a different aspect of agriculture. On the main day, families make payasam with rice, milk and jaggery, sharing the auspicious food with friends, family and neighbours. 

One Pongal legend is about Shiva asking Nandi to go to Earth and instruct humans to eat once a month and bathe daily, but Nandi instead tells them to eat daily and bathe once a month. This angers Shiva and prompts him to send Nandi down to Earth permanently, to help humans plough their fields and grow more food, since they now had to eat every day. Another story connects Pongal to Indra, who was angered that Krishna had convinced the residents of Gokul to worship the Govardhan hill instead of him. Indra unleashed torrential rains until Krishna lifted the mountain on his little finger to shelter the villagers, after which Indra’s pride was humbled, and the festival became a reminder to honour both the sustaining hill and the life-giving rains. 

In Punjab, Lohri is celebrated at the centre of a courtyard or village square, around which people circle while singing, dancing, and tossing offerings to the flames. The festival coincides with the onset of warmer, longer days and the harvesting of rabi crops like wheat and sugarcane, so the fire becomes both a source of warmth and a way of thanking the forces that nurtured the fields. 

Lohri is also closely associated with the legend of Dulla Bhatti, a folk hero from Punjab. He is believed to have lived during the time of Akbar’s reign and is known as the ‘Robin Hood of Punjab’. He is recounted in folk songs as a rebel who stood up to imperial power and protected the vulnerable. Legends describe him rescuing young girls from being sold, arranging their marriages with dignity, and redistributing wealth to the poor, which is why people still sing his praises around the Lohri fire. 

Another legend of Lohri is that of Surajmal, a hardworking farmer who was deeply in love with a girl named Lohri. His village was struck by an especially hard winter and to save his village, he made a vow to Surya, the Sun god, to forgo all personal happiness, even his love for Lohri, if it meant that prosperity and warmth would return to his village. Impressed by this, Surya warmed the earth and crops grew back. In gratitude, people lit fires, offered the first harvest to the flames, and gathered to sing of Surajmal’s faith and perseverance, a memory that, in some traditions, becomes folded into the stories sung around the Lohri bonfire.

Taken together, these festivals show how the turning of the seasons is never just a change in weather, but a moment to pause, remember, and give thanks. Whether in the Meji fires of Assam, the brimming Pongal pots of Tamil Nadu, or the Lohri bonfires of Punjab, the harvest becomes a way of honouring the stories and deities that watch over the land, and of stepping into Uttarayan with hope, warmth, and renewed faith.

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In Indian culture, astrology is more than a tool to predict our ever-changing lives. It is the thread that connects everyday life to the stars and sky. As Sharad Navratri arrives, the air grows crisp and the seasons turn, along with a shift in the spiritual landscape. This is the festival that honours Goddess Durga, whose power is mirrored in the skies and the cycles of nature. 

Navratri means ‘nine nights’, a time where Goddess Durga is worshipped in her nine different forms. Each night is a step in the journey from darkness and struggle to clarity and transformation. The festival represents the triumph of good over evil, light over darkness, and knowledge over ignorance as Durga slays the demon, Mahishasura. But Navratri is also deeply tied to astronomy and astrology, with each day’s timing and meaning influenced by the planets and their movements.   

Sharad Navratri begins around the autumn equinox, the time when day and night are almost equal in length; highlighting balance in the universe, a natural balance in the earth’s cycle, and the shift from summer into the cooler season. The equinox reminds us of balance not only in the outside world but also in our inner lives. Just like day and night are equal and in harmony during this time, Sharad Navratri encourages us to find balance within ourselves.  

Each night of Navratri celebrates one of the nine forms of Goddess Durga, each representing different qualities like strength, courage, wisdom, and protection. Each of the nine days and corresponding forms of Durga is linked to the ‘Navagraha’ of Hindu astrology: Moon, Mars, Mercury, Jupiter, Venus, Saturn, Sun, Rahu, and Ketu. By praying to each form, we seek harmony with the energies of these cosmic bodies. The movements of these bodies influence the timing of the festival, making it a special time when spiritual and universal energies are aligned.  

Why nine nights? The number nine holds a significant position in both mathematics and spirituality. Nine is the last digit before numbers repeat in cycles, as the digits ‘1’ and ‘0’ begin to repeat after ‘9’, symbolising completion and renewal. In Hindu thought, nine signals the end of one cycle and the beginning of another, representing rebirth, transformation, and infinity. Nine is the apex, both an ending and ushering of a new start. During Navratri, nine marks the harmony of the physical and spiritual, the journey through stages of life, from ignorance to finding the divine. The nine forms of Durga depict the nine stages of individual growth from death to rebirth, cleansing, and enlightenment. Even the structure of the Vedas and the planetary system is shaped by nines, reflecting a universe that moves in cycles, guided by the Navagraha. With each turn of the seasons and each phase of the moon, the number nine reminds us to recognise the rhythms of nature in our own lives.  

Sharad Navratri is more than a festival; it is a celebration of the skies and spiritual growth. As people light lamps and offer prayers, they participate in a tradition that honours the relationship between the stars and human life. For nine sacred nights, under the changing skies, Navratri invites us to embrace change, seek balance, and move toward renewal. 

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History is considered boring and studying for and writing history exams is nothing less than a chore. Some of the more enterprising teachers have devised interesting ways of teaching history, but what about history exams? How can we make history exams inspiring and engaging for our students?

Have you tried setting a history question paper based on the Amar Chitra Katha comics? We share in this short article, our successful effort. Most lessons in Indian history can be found in Amar Chitra Katha comics—whether it is the Indian movement of independence, or Indian rulers, or civilizations. After we teach a lesson in history, we can ask students to read the corresponding Amar Chitra Katha comic book. For example, after teaching 9^th graders the lesson on Chandra Gupta Maurya, we asked the students to read Magesthenese from Amar Chitra Katha comics as an extension of the lesson.

Once the children have read the comics, you can set question papers that relate both to the comics they have read and the lesson in their history textbooks. It does take some effort on the part of the teacher to choose the right scene and dialogue from the comics to ask the questions. But all the effort is worth it as it both an exciting and wonderful learning experience for the students.

We share here a few examples of how we can set question papers using comics and cartoons.

Question 1

1. Who was Megasthenes?
2. Name the book written by him.
3. What is his book about?
4. How was he able to write the book?
5. What was the spy system during Chandra Gupta Maurya’s time like?

Question 2

Observe the picture below, read the information, and answer the questions that follow.

1. Why did Lord Curzon divide Bengal? Which year did he do it?
2. When was Bengal divided?
3. Name three famous leaders of the Congress during Curzon’s time.
4. Explain the methods used by the Congress.
5. What do you see in the picture? Which leader is leading the event?
6. What is his famous slogan?

Question 3

1. Look at the picture and identify the personalities.
2. Why did he meet Hitler? Did he get any help from Hitler?
3. After meeting Hitler where did he go?
4.  What did he do after reaching Singapore?
5. What was the famous slogan he spread among the youth?

Questions papers based on comic books encourage the reading habit in children, which in turn builds their knowledge. Because comics are illustrated, even reluctant readers may find them easy to handle. As they say, a picture is worth a thousand words. What better way than to teach and learn history?

Mangalam Narayanan is on the advisory board of Leo International School, Kalher, Upper Thane. She can be reached at 07mangalam@gmail.com.

Lakshmi Madhusudan is Principal of Sunitidevi Singhania school Thane. She can be reached at lmadhusudan1968@gmail.com.

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