CM Nayab Saini Attends Vishwakarma Puja in Phagwara, Invokes PM Scheme
Synopsis
Haryana CM Nayab Singh Saini visited Phagwara's 116-year-old Vishwakarma temple on November 9, marking the rare single-day convergence of Govardhan Puja and Vishwakarma Puja, and linked the occasion to PM Modi's artisan welfare scheme.
Key Takeaways
Haryana CM Nayab Singh Saini attended the Shri Vishwakarma Puja Mahotsav at a 116-year-old temple in Phagwara, Punjab on November 9, 2026 .
Both Govardhan Puja and Vishwakarma Puja coincided on the same day this year, an occurrence Saini called an extraordinary confluence.
Saini highlighted PM Vishwakarma Yojana , launched by PM Modi in September 2023 , which provides credit, skill training and recognition to traditional artisans.
The Chief Minister pledged opportunity for skill, dignity for labour, and a self-reliance foundation for every craftsperson.
The scheme targets 18 traditional trades with subsidised tools and micro-loans under the 2023-24 Union Budget initiative.
Two festivals, one ancient temple, and a political message stitched together in a single visit — Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini travelled to Phagwara, Punjab on Monday, November 9, 2026, to attend the Shri Vishwakarma Puja Mahotsav at a historic temple said to be 116 years old, bowing before the deity and weaving the occasion into a larger narrative about artisan welfare and national self-reliance.
A rare convergence of two festivals
Saini noted a striking calendrical coincidence: both Govardhan Puja and Vishwakarma Puja fell on the same day this year. Drawing on Hindu mythology, he connected the two — Lord Krishna lifted the Govardhan mountain to protect the community, while Lord Vishwakarma, the divine craftsman, built the city of Dwarka to give that same community a home. It is a rare alignment that he described as 'adbhut sanyog' — an extraordinary confluence.
PM Vishwakarma Yojana and the artisan push
PM Vishwakarma Yojana, launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in September 2023 after being announced in the 2023-24 Union Budget, is designed to bring traditional artisans and craftspeople into a formal support structure — offering collateral-free credit, skill upgradation training, and digital onboarding. Saini invoked the scheme directly, crediting Modi with giving craftspeople a 'new identity' for their skills.
The scheme targets 18 traditional trades — from carpenters and blacksmiths to weavers and sculptors — and offers beneficiaries access to subsidised tools and micro-loans. For artisan communities who venerate Vishwakarma as their patron deity, attending the festival and naming the scheme in the same breath is deliberate alignment: faith and policy, fused.
Saini's pledge to Haryana's craftspeople
Speaking at the event, the Chief Minister framed a three-part promise: 'hunar ko avsar, shram ko samman, aur pratyek karigar ko aatmanirbharta ka aadhar' — opportunity for skill, dignity for labour, and a foundation of self-reliance for every artisan. The language mirrors the broader BJP vocabulary of Aatmanirbhar Bharat, applied here to the craft economy of a state where small-scale manufacturing and artisan clusters form a significant economic base.
Phagwara, located in Punjab's Kapurthala district, is not Saini's home state — his visit there underlines the cross-state cultural outreach that accompanies large religious festivals, particularly those with strong community resonance among artisan and OBC groups.
When a Chief Minister bows at a 116-year-old temple and walks out quoting a welfare scheme, the message is unmistakable: in BJP's political grammar, devotion and development are not separate sentences — they are the same paragraph.
Point of View
Particularly those targeting artisan and OBC communities. PM Vishwakarma Yojana, still in an early implementation phase, needs grassroots visibility — and temple festivals with large craftsperson participation are natural amplifiers. Attending the event in Punjab, not his home state, also signals the party's intent to expand cultural outreach beyond its own electoral territory. The double-festival framing — mythology plus policy — is a messaging template that has become increasingly standard in BJP communication since 2023.
NationPress
9 Nov 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What is PM Vishwakarma Yojana and who does it help?
PM Vishwakarma Yojana is a central government scheme launched in September 2023 to support traditional artisans and craftspeople across 18 trades. It provides collateral-free micro-loans, skill training, digital onboarding, and subsidised tools to beneficiaries.
Why did Nayab Saini visit Phagwara for Vishwakarma Puja?
Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini attended the Shri Vishwakarma Puja Mahotsav at a 116-year-old historic temple in Phagwara, Punjab on November 9, 2026, to pay his respects and link the occasion to artisan welfare messaging.
Did Govardhan Puja and Vishwakarma Puja fall on the same day in 2026?
According to CM Saini's post, both Govardhan Puja and Vishwakarma Puja coincided on November 9, 2026 — an occurrence he described as a rare and extraordinary confluence.
What is the significance of Vishwakarma Puja for artisan communities?
Lord Vishwakarma is considered the divine craftsman and architect in Hindu tradition, venerated as the patron deity of artisans, engineers, and workers. Vishwakarma Puja is widely observed by craftspeople and industrial workers as a day to honour their tools and profession.
When was PM Vishwakarma Yojana launched and by whom?
PM Vishwakarma Yojana was announced in the Union Budget for 2023-24 and formally launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in September 2023 to provide structured support to traditional artisans and craftspeople across India.
