Vishwakarma Puja 2021

On Kanya Sankranti, the day the Sun enters sidereal Virgo — the last day of the Bengali month of Bhadra. It falls on 17 September in most years and on 16 September in some. This year's date and the exact Sankranti moment are shown above.

Because it is a solar festival, fixed by the Sun's entry into Virgo rather than by a tithi. That instant drifts by about six hours a year and resets at each leap year, so the civil date it lands on alternates between 16 and 17 September. The 17 September you may see quoted as fixed is the Government of India restricted-holiday convention, not the computed date.

It is kept on the same day. Kanya Sankranti is the astronomical event — the Sun's transit into Virgo — and Vishwakarma Puja is the observance held on that day, which is why the two dates always agree.

No. It is a day of worship and thanksgiving at the workplace, not a fast. The tools and machines are cleaned, worshipped and left unused for the day, and prasad is shared with everyone who works there.

Artisans, engineers, mechanics, drivers, weavers, carpenters, smiths and factory workers — anyone whose living is made with tools. It is largest in West Bengal, Jharkhand, Odisha, Assam and Bihar, where workshops and factories close for the day.