Appearance day of Lord Narasimha : 14th Lunar day of the waxing phase of Vaisakha lunar month is celebrated as the appearance day of Lord Narasimha.

Starts: 9:53 am PDT (California time), Thursday, May 19, 2016
Ends: 12:12 pm PDT (California time), Friday, May 20, 2016

SIGNIFICANCE: Lord Vishnu’s 4th incarnation was in the form of half-lion/half-man, known as Narasimha (Nara means man and Simha means lion). In this particular incarnation, he saved the life of his devotee Prahalād from his father who was a demon king Hiranyakashipu. Hiranyakashipu was dead against his son’s devotion to lord Vishnu. He challenged his son that if his Vishnu is real, he should appear in front of him and save him. Lord Vishnu did. Hiranyakashipu had received a boon that he cannot be killed by a man or an animal, he cannot be killed during day or night time, he cannot be killed inside or outside, he cannot be killed on the earth or in the sky and he cannot be killed by any weapon. So lord Narasimha (who was neither a man nor an animal) killed Hiranyakashipu at dusk (neither day nor night time) at the doorway (neither inside, nor outside), on his lap (neither on the earth nor in the skies) by piercing his chest with his nails (without any weapon). Lord Vishnu always answers the prayers of his sincere devotees.

Narasimha Mahā Mantra: