Dubai: Vishwa Brahmana Samiti Celebrates Seventh Anniversary
News: Shodhan Prasad
Pics: Sujay Bendore
Daijiworld Media Network – Dubai (SB)
Dubai, Oct 25: Sri Vishwa Brahmana Seva Samiti, UAE celebrated seventh anniversary programme in a truly religious way at the Banquet Hall of Karama Centre, Dubai on Saturday October 23.
The programme began with ‘kalasha pratishtey’ and bhajans sung by the members of the samiti. Samiti members are mostly from South Indian town of Karnataka and have been gathering and celebrating their function every year in pure traditional and devotional way. The bhajans continued until the Maha Puja. The puja was very well-perfomed by Ashok Purohit, who came all the way from India. Ashok Purohit is a famous Vasthu specialist and astrologer who conducts pooja for Shri Vishwa Brahmana Seva Samiti every year and provide them spiritual guidance. He gave a brief on the puja and blessed all those devotees.
K P Nanjundi, a well known actor and producer of Kannada Film Industry was the chief guest. He shared his real life experience and his struggle from poverty to what he is today. He said “there was a time when people were running away from me and now it is the other way round.” He offered to volunteer the samiti in their future programmes by inviting film personalities known to him so that the samithi can organize some good charitable programmes for the development of the community.
Vishwa Brahmana Seva Samiti felicitated K P Nanjundi and Ashok Purohit on the occasion.
The members who supported and sponsored the event, Umesh Acharya, Shodhan K Janardhan Barkur and Sadashiva Acharya too were honoured and they were respectively. Also honoured was Mrs Pejavar for her contribution to web committee as a member.
Shantaram Achar, president of Shri Vishwa Brahmana Seva Samiti delivered the vote of thanks. The stage programme was followed by a small entertainment programme on stage that comprised few dances and songs by the children of the members.
Everyone who offered puja were distributed with a beautiful steel tray with photo of Lord Vishwakarma, fruits, flowers and sweets. At the end there was a lucky draw of the tickets that had special prizes to be won by the lucky few community members.
About Vishwakarma Brahmins
Vishwakarmas or Vishwabrahmins is a term used in India to describe five castes of artisans in India, formerly more closely connected to each other than they are now. Vishwakarma is a common term for five castes who are into artisan profession namely Goldsmith, Carpenter, Blacksmith, Copper-smith and Stone-mason. The Vishwakarmas of south Karnataka are composed of several sub-castes namely the Kulacharis (ironsmiths and carpenters) the Shivacharis (ironsmiths-cum-carpenters, founders-cum-sculptors) the Uttaradi goldsmiths, the Matachar founders, the Muddekammaras and the Doddamanes. Most of these sub-castes do not inter-marry, and do have an hierarchy amongst them. All the sub-castes worships goddess Kali and they are very similar to brahmins in their ritual practices but few of them are non-vegetarians.
The Vishwakarmas of North Karnataka are also divided into five sub-castes, and many of them follow Lingaytism.
According to traditional belief, Vishwabrahmins are descended from five sons of Lord Vishwakarma. They are Manu (blacksmith), Maya (carpenter), Thwastha (metal craftsman), Shilpi (stone-carver) and Vishwajnya (goldsmith). The community is spread widely throughout India and played a vital role in the village economy. Their socio-economic status varied from a very high level to the low level in different parts of India as they earned high wages in towns because of their factory employment and low in villages.
Artisans (known as Kammalan/Vishwakarma/Vishwabrahmin in Kerala, in all south India, paradoxically, fought for a higher position in the caste system. According to John Fryer, who vistited India in 1670, the members of Kammalan caste held themselves equal to Brahmins and disputed the higher position of Brahmins. The weavers and goldsmiths in Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh created their own priest systems. They actually belong to category of Brahmins and wear sacred thread. Viswakarma Brahmins trace their origin back to vedic period. Brahminism is divided into two categories Arsheya Bhrahmaneyam and Parusheya Brahmaneyam and Viswakarma Brahmins belongs to Parusheya Brahmaneyam.