Narasimha Jayanthi is celebrated on the Vaishakha Shukla Chaturdashi by Hindus. Narsimha Jayanti is a festival to please Lord Narasimha (Lord Vishnu’s fourth incarnation). God Narshima appeared as a half man and half lion to kill Hiranyakashipu demon. He is popularly known as lion-man or half lion-half man incarnation. This occasion is basically performed to solemnize the victory of Dharma over Adharma.
Narasimha Jayanti comes in the month of April –May that is Vaisakha according to Hindu calendar. On the fourteenth day of Shukla Paksha, it is said that Narasimha came out of the pillar and killed Hiranyakashipu.
Every year this day in celebrated in my Mom’s place. My Uncle perform pooja and offer Prasadham. It is also good to read Narasimha Dasakam from Narayaneeyam on this day.
What is the story of Narasimha Jayanthi?
According to old sayings, a man named Kashyap had a wife called Diti. They had two children, Hiranyakashipu and Hiranyaksha. To protect humanity and Earth, Lord Vishnu killed Hiranyaksha. Hiranyakashipu became very annoyed by his brother’s death and decided to take revenge. He prayed for a long time to Lord Brahma and received his blessing. After receiving the blessing, Hiranyakashipu started ruling all Lokas, including the heavens.
Hiranyakashipu’s wife, Kayadhu, gave birth to a son named Prahlad. Prahlad devoted himself to Lord Narayana, which his father did not like. Hiranyakashipu tried to distract him from praying to Lord Narayana in many ways, hoping to turn him into a demon and make him take revenge, but he failed every time because Prahlad had Lord Vishnu’s blessing.
The Rescue of Prahlad
Holika, the sister of Hiranyakashipu, received a boon that allowed her to remain unburned by fire. To make Prahlad a demon, she set herself on fire while holding him in her lap, but Holika burned, and Prahlad was saved.
Seeing all this made Hiranyakashipu very angry. Prahlad told him that the Lord resides in everything and is present everywhere. In his rage, Hiranyakashipu attacked a nearby pillar, and Lord Narasimha emerged from it. Hiranyakashipu had a boon that protected him from being killed by Devas, humans, or animals, and he could not be killed during the day or night, on Earth or in space, or by any weapons. Therefore, Lord Vishnu took the incarnation of Lord Narasimha, a half-lion, half-man, and killed him by tearing open his chest with his nails. It is also believed that everyone who fasts on this day receives blessings from Lord Narasimha.
To mark this incident and pay respects to the Lord, devotees celebrate Narasimha Jayanthi every year. Followers of Lord Vishnu fast on this day and visit temples for worship. They widely believe that observing Narasimha Jayanthi leads one to Vaikundam, the abode of Lord Vishnu.
