Narsimha Dwadashi 2024: That time of the year is here. This is the time of festivities. With Holi around the corner, the country is currently busy preparing for the Holi festivities. Every year, this time is celebrated with a lot of pomp and grandeur all across the country. Holi signifies that goodness always triumphs over evil – this is in connection with the story of Lord Vishnu’s triumph over Hiranyakashipu. Lord Vishnu’s half human and half lion avatar is referred to as Narsimha. It literally translates to human and lion together. Every year, Narsimha Dwadashi is observed with a lot of dedication and devotion all throughout the country. As we gear up to celebrate the auspicious day for this year, here are a few things that we must keep in mind.

Date and puja timings:

Narsimha Dwadashi is observed on the twelfth day of the bright half of the month of Falgun. It is observed three days before Holi. This year, Narsimha Dwadashi will be celebrated on March 21. According to the Panchang, the auspicious tithi will start at 2:22 AM on March 21 and will end at 4:44 AM on March 22.

Rituals:

It is believed that praying with devotion on the auspicious day of Narsimha Dwadashi can help the devotees to seek blessings of Lord Vishnu. During the Brahma Muhurta, devotees start the day by taking a holy dip. Then they offer flowers, fruits, sweets, coconut, sandalwood and gulal to Lord Narsimha. The mantra – Ugram veeram mahaavishnum jvalantam sarvatomukham – is chanted 108 times. Devotees keep fast on this day.

Significance:

According to Hindu mythology, Prahlada was a devotee of Lord Vishnu. His unwavering devotion towards the lord made his father Hiranyakashipu angry. Hiranyakashipu believed that he was invincible. He placed Prahlada on fire and in the Holika flames. However, Prahlada’s devotion stayed intact. Then Lord Vishnu emerged as the avatar of Narsimha and vanquished Hiranyakashipu.