Narak Chaturdashi 2017

The second day of the Diwali festival cluster is celebrated as Narak Chaturdashi. Also known by the name Naraka Nivaran Chaturdashi, it falls on the 14th day of Krishna Paksha in the month of Kartik, according to the Hindu Calendar. Being celebrated one day prior to Diwali, the day is glorified with the name Chhoti Diwali. The other names of the festival include Kali Chaudas, Narak Puja, Roop Chaudas and Narak Chaudas.

When is Naraka Chaturdashi in 2017?

What are the legends behind Narak Chaturdashi?

Naraka Chaturdashi is celebrated for a number of reasons, out of which the following two reasons are more pronounced.

• The legend of Narakasura and Lord Krishna

Narakasura, a demon ruler created chaos in the lives of Devtas as well as the commoners. He defeated Lord Indra in a battle, and took away the revered earrings of Mother Goddess Aditi, which created a havoc in the Deva Loka. Sixteen thousand daughters of Saints were held captive by the evil demon Narakasura. The Devtas, along with the Saints, rushed to Lord Vishnu, and pleaded him to pour oil on troubled waters. The news of the kidnapping of girls reached Satyabhama (wife of Lord Krishna), and she got enraged. Lord Vishnu’s eighth incarnation, Lord Krishna accompanied her as her charioteer, and engaged in a ferocious battle with Narakasura and his army. He beheaded Narakasura with his Sudarshan Chakra on the 14th day of the month of Kartik, unshackled the abducted woman, and reclaimed Mother Aditi’s earrings. To save the girls from humiliation, Lord Krishna accepted all of them as his wives. Upon returning to their place, he was given scented oil bath, and that is why taking a bath on this day became a ritual. The defeat of Narakasura marked the festival of Naraka Chaturdashi, and is celebrated by the people as a sign of victory of good over evil.

• The legend of King Bali and Lord Vishnu

A king named Bali gained immense power, and conquered the whole universe, including the Deva Loka. Unable to defeat Bali, the Devtas found themselves in a tight corner, and pleaded Lord Vishnu for assistance. In order to help them out, Lord Vishnu incarnated himself as a dwarf named Vamana, and challenged Bali to give him enough land to cover three steps. As Bali was known for his generous nature, he accepted the challenge and allowed Lord Vamana to take that much of land. Lord Vamana increased in size, and covered the Heaven and the Earth with his two strides, and there was no place left to place the third step. Bali offered his head, on which Lord Yamana placed his foot and pushed him in Patala Loka. Since he was a kind and generous ruler, he was designated as the ruler of the underworld, Patala Loka. It is believed that King Bali visits the Earth on this day.

Narak Chaturdashi : Puja Vidhi

While celebrating Narak Chaturdashi, it is important to know the rituals to be followed on this day. The points are listed below -

1. Take a bath early before sunrise. While bathing, apply sesame oil all over your body.
2. After bathing, pray to Lord Yama facing towards South. Doing this makes you free from your past life sins.
3. In the evening, lit a properly oiled diya near the main door of your house.

Narak Chaturdashi Celebrations

In India, each region has its own way of celebrating a festival. Similarly, Narak Chaturdashi is celebrated in different ways in different regions of India.

• Celebrations In Maharashtra

In Maharashtra, the day starts with an early morning bath with a pleasant smelling paste. After this, the houses are adorned with series of beautifully lit Diyas. Sweet puffed rice or vermicelli in milk is distributed amongst the family members.

• Celebrations In Bengal

On this pious day, Goddess Kali is revered by the people of Bengal, and the festival is known as Kali Chaudas or Kali Puja. Streets are flooded with people and statues of the goddess, and the people celebrate the festival with lot of enthusiasm and joy.

Here at MyKundali, we hope that our article on Narak Chaturdashi has answered all your questions about Naraka Chaturdashi, and wish you a very Happy Narak Chaturdashi..!