This past Tuesday marked a moment of reverence and festivity known locally as Ayudha Puja, which literally means “Homage to implements (or tools).” Masons will pay homage to their trowels, Carpenters to their saws, and other professions to the tools that enable their livelihoods, whether vehicles or sewing machines, or computers. On this day, homage is also paid to Saraswati, the goddess of learning, who is an important figure for the students supported by Sharana’s educational initiatives.
Sharana typically celebrates Ayudha Puja a day earlier, since the puja day itself is a government holiday. This homage is meaningful to Sharana’s community of employees, whose work, tools, and goals are honored, and also to Sharana beneficiaries, for whom the day is personally special and marked also by festivities, special food, and so on.
We are happy to present some photographs of this year’s puja celebrations, to which many visitors and volunteers might have borne witness in years past!
