Part of this weekend’s Dussehra festivities includes Ayudha Puja, or “Worship of Implements”. Weapons, tools and all implements of vocation are worshipped in celebration of Durga’s (aka Chamundeshwari) killing of the demon king Mahishasura. They are cleaned, painted or polished and blessed. Cars are commonly blessed, too (hopefully, as a implement of vocation rather than as a weapon…). It is very similar to the process for the new car puja I mentioned earlier: flower garlands, turmeric paste, sandalwood paste, lemons etc. Banana tree stalks are a unique addition for this puja. C (my driver) got our car blessed earlier today, here’s what it looked like:
Other implements blessed today:
The escalators ( note the whit stripes on the poles flaking it)
The metro stop floor polishers ( note the polishers on either side of the ornate alter set up in my local metro stop)
Autos ( known elsewhere as tuk-tuks):
Dez in India 