Narsimha Jayanti- Story behind this festival
Narasimha Jayanti 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.
What is the story of Narasimha Jayanti?
According to old sayings, a man named Kashyap had a wife called ‘Diti’. They had two children named Hiranyakashipu and Harinyaksha. To protect mankind and Earth Harinyaksha was killed by Lord Vishnu. His brother Hiranyakashipu was very annoyed by the death of his brother and decided to take revenge. He prayed for a long time to Lord Brahma and took his blessing. After getting the blessing he started ruling all Lokas including heavens.
Hiranyakashipu’s wife Kayadhu gave birth to a son named Prahalad. Prahalad was a devotee of Lord Narayana, which was not liked by his father. His father tried to distract him from praying Lord Narayana in many ways as he wanted him to become a demon and take revenge, but he failed every time because the ‘Prahlad’ was blessed by Lord Vishnu.
‘Holika’, the sister of Hiranyakashipu had a boon that she will never get burned by fire, so to make Prahlad demon, she set on fire with Prahlad on his lap but Holika got burnt and Prahalad was saved.
Hiranyakashipu was very angry after seeing all this. Prahalad told him that the Lord resides in everything is present everywhere. The angry father attacked a pillar near him and Lord Narasimha came out of it. Hiranyakashipu had a boon that he cannot be killed by Deva, human or animal, cannot be killed in day or night and cannot be killed on earth or space and cannot be killed by weapons. So God Vishnu took incarnation as Lord Narasimha who was a half lion and a half man and killed him with his nails by cutting the chest.This is also believed that everyone who keeps fast on this day are blessed by Lord Narasimha.
How is Lord Narasimha worshipped on this day?
On Narasimha Jayanti , Lord Narasimha is worshipped with full enthusiasm. People wake up very early in the morning and take a bath in Brahma Muhurat. Then they wear clean clothes and pray to Lord Narasimha. With Lord Narasimha, Goddess Laxmi is also prayed with dedication and devotion using flowers ,fruits, ‘kumkum’, five sweets, ‘kesar’, rice, coconut, ‘ganga jal’ etc.
People chant Narasimha mantra by using a Rudraksha mala and sitting in isolation.They also donate gold, sesame seeds, clothes, etc. on Narasimha Jayanti. It is said that celebrating this occasion fulfilled all dreams and all problems are solved.