Festival · 2027
Narasimha Jayanti 2027 — Tuesday, 18 May 2027
Narasimha Jayanti marks the evening on which Vishnu appeared as Narasimha, half man and half lion, to protect his young devotee Prahlada, on Vaishakha Shukla Chaturdashi.
In 2026
Thursday, 30 April 2026
- Tithi
- Shukla Chaturdashi: 29 Apr, 7:52 PM – 30 Apr, 9:13 PM
- Lunar month
- Vaishakha
- Sunrise / sunset
- 5:41 AM / 6:55 PM
| Puja muhurat | 4:16 PM – 6:55 PM |
|---|---|
| Sayahna kaal muhurat | 4:16 PM – 6:55 PM |
Rule: Vaishakha Shukla Chaturdashi prevailing at sayahna, the evening twilight when Narasimha appeared; if on both days, the day it covers more of it.
In 2027
Tuesday, 18 May 2027
- Tithi
- Shukla Chaturdashi: 18 May, 4:04 PM – 19 May, 4:03 PM
- Lunar month
- Vaishakha
- Sunrise / sunset
- 5:28 AM / 7:06 PM
| Puja muhurat | 4:22 PM – 7:06 PM |
|---|---|
| Sayahna kaal muhurat | 4:22 PM – 7:06 PM |
Rule: Vaishakha Shukla Chaturdashi prevailing at sayahna, the evening twilight when Narasimha appeared; if on both days, the day it covers more of it.
Times follow New Delhi’s sunrise and sunset. In other cities the muhurat shifts by some minutes, and occasionally the day by one. Full festival calendar
What is Narasimha Jayanti?
Narasimha, “man-lion”, is the fourth of the ten avatars of Vishnu, after the fish, the tortoise and the boar. His Jayanti falls on the fourteenth day of the bright half of Vaishakha, the day before Vaishakha Purnima, which is also Buddha Purnima. It is kept in the evening, because the story places Narasimha’s appearance at twilight, and devotees fast through the day until that hour.
The story is told most fully in the seventh book of the Bhagavata Purana, and also in the Vishnu Purana and other texts. The demon king Hiranyakashipu, after long austerities, won from Brahma a boon that seemed to make him safe from death: he could not be killed by man or beast, inside or outside, by day or by night, on the earth or in the sky, by any weapon. Made proud by this, he demanded to be worshipped in place of the gods. His young son Prahlada, however, remained devoted to Vishnu, and neither teaching, threats nor attempts on his life could turn him away. The same story gives Holika, who is remembered at Holi, her part in it.
At last, when Hiranyakashipu asked mockingly whether Vishnu was in a pillar of the palace hall and struck it, Narasimha burst out of the pillar. He was neither man nor beast; he came at twilight, which is neither day nor night; he held the king on his lap, neither on the earth nor in the sky, at the threshold, neither inside nor outside, and ended his life with his claws, which are not weapons. Every condition of the boon was respected, and yet the tyrant fell. Prahlada then calmed Narasimha’s anger with a hymn of praise.
The story is read as a promise that devotion is protected, and that no power, however cleverly guarded, stands beyond justice. Narasimha is worshipped in both his fierce form, Ugra Narasimha, and his gentle form with Lakshmi, Lakshmi Narasimha. Prahlada, the child who held firm, is honoured on the same evening.
How it is observed
- A fast from sunrise, kept by many devotees until the evening worship, with the fast broken either after the worship or the next morning, as family custom holds.
- Worship of Narasimha at sayahna, the evening twilight, with flowers, tulsi, sandalwood, a lamp and offerings of fruit and sweets such as panakam.
- Reciting the story of Prahlada from the Bhagavata Purana, and hymns such as the Narasimha Kavacham or Prahlada’s prayer.
- Abhisheka and special festivals at Narasimha temples, including Ahobilam, Yadagirigutta, Simhachalam and Mangalagiri.
- Night-long kirtan or keeping awake in some Vaishnava communities, followed by charity the next morning.
- Remembering Prahlada as the model devotee, often with children hearing his story.
How the date is fixed
Narasimha Jayanti is kept on Vaishakha Shukla Chaturdashi, the fourteenth lunar day of the bright half of Vaishakha. Because Narasimha appeared in the evening twilight, our calendar takes the day on which Chaturdashi prevails at sayahna, the last fifth of the daylight before sunset. If Chaturdashi is present at sayahna on two consecutive days, the day on which it covers more of the sayahna is taken. The date and the sayahna window above are worked out this way for the place you choose, and the evening worship is timed within that window.
Where practice differs
Narasimha Jayanti is kept with the greatest devotion in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, where Narasimha temples are many, at the nine shrines of Ahobilam, Yadagirigutta, Simhachalam, Mangalagiri and Dharmapuri, and in Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. In the north it is observed in Vaishnava temples and homes, and ISKCON communities, including at Mayapur, keep it with fasting and kirtan. In Odisha and Maharashtra it is also widely marked. The month is Vaishakha in both northern and amanta calendars, since the day falls in the bright half. Some almanacs and temples use a sunrise or a different evening rule, so their date can occasionally differ from ours by a day; temple announcements are the guide for temple festivals.
Dates and times are computed by our own engine (sunrise, tithi and kalas for New Delhi, Lahiri ayanamsa). In another city, or in an almanac of another tradition, the day can differ by one — follow your family’s tradition.
Questions people ask
Why is Narasimha Jayanti celebrated in the evening?
Because the story says Narasimha appeared at twilight, a time that is neither day nor night, so that Hiranyakashipu’s boon would not be broken. The worship is therefore held at sayahna, the evening period before sunset, and many fast until then.
What is the story of Narasimha and Prahlada?
Hiranyakashipu won a boon that seemed to protect him from every kind of death and then persecuted his son Prahlada for worshipping Vishnu. Narasimha, half man and half lion, emerged from a pillar at twilight and ended the king’s life in a way that kept every condition of the boon, protecting Prahlada. The story is told in the Bhagavata Purana.
How is the Narasimha Jayanti fast kept?
Many devotees fast from sunrise, some without grain and some more strictly, and worship Narasimha in the evening. The fast is broken after the evening worship or at sunrise the next day, depending on family and sampradaya custom.
Is Narasimha Jayanti close to Buddha Purnima?
Yes. Narasimha Jayanti is on Vaishakha Shukla Chaturdashi, and Vaishakha Purnima, which is Buddha Purnima, is the next tithi. The two usually fall on consecutive days.