Appearing in a body of the human & the head of the Lion, Lord Narasimha is the fourth incarnation of the divine Lord Vishnu, powerful & fierce than anyone. Believed to be the guardian angel, rescuing & protecting people from the evils, Lord Narasimha is the one who killed the demon Hiranyakashipu in order to protect Prahlada. Shukla Chaturdashi or the fourteenth day of the bright fortnight falling in the month of April or May is celebrated as "Narasimha Jayanti”.

But what is the actual story behind Lord Vishnu appearing in this avatar? Let us know more about Narasimha Jayanti’s significance. As said, Lord Vishnu incarnated as Narasimha on the Earth in the half-lion, half-human like torso form in order to kill the Hiranyakashipu, the demoniac father of Prahlada. It so happened that Lord Vishnu killed one of the sons of sage Kashyap, named Harinyaksha to protect the Earth.

On knowing this, Hiranyakashipu, the brother of Harinyaksha, offered austerities to Lord Brahma. He then received a special boon from Lord Brahma that any human being, animal, weapon or other entities would kill him neither during the day nor at night. It was this time when Lord Narasimha killed Hiranyakashipu on his lap by tearing his chest apart with his nails.

What to do on Narasimha Jayanti?

Narasimha Jayanti 2020 that falls on Vaishakha Shukla Chaturdashi starts at 11:21 PM on May 5 that falls on Tuesday and ends at 7:44 on May 6, i.e; Wednesday. Here is how the devotees follow the procedure of rituals on this Jayanti.

• Wake up before sunrise on Brahma Muhurta, take bath and wear clean clothes.
• Once the idols of the Lord Narasimha and Goddess Lakshmi are installed, offer special prayers to both the deities.
• Along with the gram dal, jaggery, coconut, sweets, fruits & Kesar, the Lord is offered with flowers, & Kumkum after the pooja.
• Consuming a single meal a day, devotees start their fast with the sunrise & break their fast on the next day’s sunrise.
• All kinds of cereals or grains to be avoided on this day.
• Reciting sacred mantras with Rudraksha mala, donating sesame seeds, clothes, precious metals & food to the needy are considered auspicious.

Benefits:

Along with fasting, Lord Narasimha prayers benefit you with the following;

• It helps you to overcome financial difficulties, clear debts.
• Brings success in legal matters and other court cases.
• Protects you against evil energies, diseases & ailments.
• Washes off the sins & grants salvation.

(Signifying the good over the bad, Narasimha Jayanti is celebrated with the utmost respect, devotion, and faith to gain the blessings of Lord Narasimha and his Bhakta, Prahlada.)