Ayudha Puja
Ayudha Puja is a part of the Navratri festival (Nine nights), a Hindu festival that is traditionally celebrated in India. It may be translated to “worship of Instruments”. It is celebrated in Karnataka (in erstwhile Mysore State) as “Ayudha Puje” (Kannada: ಆಯುಧ ಪೂಜೆ).Tamil Nadu as Ayudha Pujai (), in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh as Aayudha Pooja (), in Kerala as Ayudha Puja (), "Astra Puja" () or "Ayudha Puja" in Odisha, "Shastra Puja" () or "Ayudha Puja/ Khande Navami" in Maharashtra, and in Karnataka (in the erstwhile Mysore State) as “Ayudha Puje” (). The festival falls on the tenth day of the bright half  of Moon's cycle of 15 days (as per Almanac) in the month of September/October, and is popularly a part of the Dasara or Navaratri or Durga Puja or Golu festival. On the tenth day of the Dasara festival, weapons and tools are worshipped. In Karnataka, the celebration is for the slaying of the demon king Mahishasura by the goddess Durga. While the Navaratri festival is observed all over the country, the festivity that is widely marked as Ayudha Puja possesses slight variations of worship and practices across India. The principal Shakti goddesses worshiped during the Ayudha puja are  Saraswati (the Goddess of wisdom, arts and literature), Lakshmi (the goddess of wealth) and Parvati (the divine mother), apart from various types of equipment; it is on this occasion when weapons are worshipped by soldiers and tools are revered by artisans. The Puja is considered a meaningful custom, which focuses specific attention to one’s profession and its related tools and connotes that a divine force is working behind it to perform well and for getting the proper reward. In the cross cultural development that has revolutionized the society, with modern science making a lasting impact on the scientific knowledge  and industrial base in India, the ethos of the old religious order is retained by worship of computers and typewriters also during the Ayudha Puja, in the same manner as practiced in the past for weapons of warfare. In Orissa, tools traditionally used for cultivation like plough, war like sword and dagger, and inscription writing like "karani" or "lekhani" (metal stylus) are worshiped. Legend. Two historical legends relate to this festival. The popular legend which was also practiced symbolically by the Maharajas of Mysore alludes to a historical legend. It is said that on Vijayadashami day Arjuna, third of the  five Pandava brothers, retrieved his weapons of war from the hole in the Shami tree where he had hidden it before proceeding on the forced exile. After completing his vanvas (exile period) of 13 years including one year of "Agyatavas" (living incognito) before embarking on the warpath against the Kauravas he retrieved his weapons. In the Kurukshetra war that ensued, Arjuna was victorious. Pandavas returned on Vijayadashami day and since then it is believed that this day is auspicious to begin any new venture. But in Karnataka, Ayudh Puja is celebrated by general public one day before of original festival  day Vijayadashami (the Ayudh Puja Day). Another legend is of a pre-battle ritual involving yagna or ritual sacrifice or as part of the Ayudh Puja (considered a sub-rite of Dasara festival that starts after the rainy season and is propitiated before launching military campaigns). This practice is no more prevalent. The past practice is narrated in the Tamil version of Mahabharata epic. In this ritual, prevalent than in Tamil Nadu, ‘Kalapalli’ was a “sacrifice to the battlefield. Duryodhana, the Kaurava chief was advised by astrologer (Sahadeva) that the propitious time for performing Kalapalli was on amavasya day (New  Moon day), one day before the start of Kurukshetra war and Iravan (son of Arjuna), also spelt Aravan, had agreed to be the victim for the sacrifice. But Krishna, the benefactor of Pandavas smelt trouble and he devised a plan to persuade Iravan to be the representative of the Pandavas and also of the Kauravas. Krishna had suggested to Yudhishthira-the eldest of the Pandavas, to sacrifice Aravan to goddess Kali as a part of Ayudh Puja. After this sacrifice, Kali had blessed Pandavas for victory in the Kurukshetra war. Similar cult practices (considered as Draupadi cult practices) were prevalent  in North Karnataka also but the ritual of human sacrifice was done one day after the Dasara on a stone altar outside a Kali temple. This part is disputed as it is not mentioned in Mahabharata. As per Mahabharat, Irawan the son of Naga Princess Ulupi and Prince Arjun, died on battle field, fighting bravely against demon(daitya) Alambusha. Mode of worship. The tools and all implements of vocation are first cleaned. All the tools, machines, vehicles and other devices are then painted or well polished after which they are smeared with turmeric paste, sandalwood paste (in the form of a  Tilak (insignia or mark)) and Kumkum (vermillion). Then, in the evening, previous to the puja day, they are placed on an earmarked platform and decorated with flowers. In the case of weapons of war, they are also cleaned, bedecked with flowers and tilak and placed in a line, adjacent to a wall. On the morning of the puja that is on the Navami day, they are all worshipped along with the images of Saraswati, Lakshmi and Parvati. Books and musical instruments are also placed on the pedestal for worship. On the day of the puja, these are not to be  disturbed. The day is spent in worship and contemplation. In Karnataka, the erstwhile Mysore state of the Maharajas of Mysore, the ancient Dasara festival started as a family tradition within the precincts of the palace. The royal family performs the Ayudh Pooja as a part of the Dasara, inside the palace grounds. The rituals observed are first to worship the weapons on the Mahanavami day (9th day), followed by “Kushmanda” (pumpkin in Sanskrit)– the tradition of breaking a pumpkin in the palace grounds. After this, weapons are carried in a golden palanquin to the Bhuvaneshwari temple for worship. The tradition  of the festival is traced to the Vijayanagara Empire (1336 A.D. to 1565 A.D.) when it became a Naada Habba (or people's festival). Raja Wodeyar I (1578–1617) who was viceroy to the Vijayanagar ruler, with his seat of power in Mysore, reintroduced the Vijayanagar practice of celebrating the Dasara festival, in 1610 A.D. He set rules on how to celebrate the Navaratri with devotion and grandeur. After a gala nine days of durbar, the Maharaja performs a pooja in a temple in the palace precincts, which is followed by a grand procession through the main thoroughfares of the Mysore  city to the Bannimantap on a caparisoned elephant. The Bannimantap is the place where the Maharaja worships the traditional Shami or Banni Tree (Prosopis spicigera); the legend of this tree is traced to the Mahabharat legend of Arjuna (where he had hidden his weapons of war). The significance of the Shami tree worship is to seek blessings of the tree (where Lord Rama is also said to have worshipped) for success in the desired avocations (including war campaigns). This festival is also celebrated with lot of fanfare throughout the state, in all villages. In the rural areas, every village and  community observe this festival with fervour but there have been conflicts on several occasions as to which community has the first right to perform the Pujas. Generally, the Ayudh puja in villages begins with the sacrifice of sheep and smearing the bullock carts with sheep blood. In Kerala, the festival is called Ayudha Puja or Saraswati Puja as part of the ten-day puja ceremonies, also named as the festival of autumnal equinox that is observed three weeks from the date of the equinox. The practice followed in the worship on two days involves the opening day, which is called  Pujaveppu (meaning: keeping implements for worship). The closing day festival is called "Pujayeduppu" (meaning: taking implements back from worship). On the "Pujaveppu" day, all tools, machines, and instruments, including vehicles, musical instruments, stationery and all implements that help one earn the livelihood, are worshipped. On the closing day, these are taken back for re-use. In villages in Kerala, the Ayudha puja is observed with great reverence and several martial art forms and folk dances are also performed on that day. In Tamil Nadu, Golu is the festival celebrated during the Navaratri period. On this occasion dolls, predominantly that of  the Gods and Goddesses from Hindu Tradition are artistically arranged on a seven-stepped wooden platform. Traditionally, 'marapachi' wooden dolls representing Perumal and Thayaar are also displayed together at a dominant location on the top step of the platform erected specially for the occasion. On the 9th day (Navami day), Saraswati puja is performed when special prayers are offered to goddess Saraswati - the divine source of wisdom and enlightenment. Books and musical instruments are placed in the puja pedestal and worshipped. Also, tools are placed for the Ayudh puja. Even vehicles are washed and decorated, and puja performed for them  on this occasion. As part of the Golu festival, Saraswati puja is performed as Ayudh puja. This is followed by the Vijayadashami celebrations at the culmination of the ten-day festivities. Apart from the golu pooja, Ayudah Puja has become very popular when business houses celebrate it ardently. Maharashtra. In Maharashtra, the festival is celebrated as Ayudha Puja/Shastra Puja, Vijayadashami, Dasara and Saraswati Puja. All weapons, vehicles, agricultural equipment, machines and metal items are worshiped with leaves of the shami tree (Marathi: आपट्याची पाने/सोने), marigold flowers and the 'dhaan' that is grown during 9 days of Navaratri. Marigold  flowers have a special significance on Dasara day. Saraswati Puja is performed and books, musical instruments, etc. are worshiped alongside the goddess. People perform a ritual called Simollanghan (Marathi: सीमोल्लंघन), crossing boundary of the village and collect leaves of the apta tree. The leaves signify gold. People visit each other's homes in the evening and distribute the gold (leaves) as a mark of love and respect. Royal Dasara celebrations take place at various places like Kolhapur.