Krishna Narasimha Dwadashi 2026: Auspicious Timing & Rituals

Krishna Narasimha Dwadashi is the twelfth lunar day (Dwadashi tithi) of the Krishna Paksha set aside for the worship of Lord Narasimha. In 2026 the tithi is observed on Sunday, 15 March, with the fast broken on the morning of the 16th.

The observance draws on the Puranic account of Narasimha’s appearance to protect the devotee Prahlada. Households keep a simple vrat, offer tulsi and flowers, and recite Narasimha stotras. The waning fortnight is traditionally regarded as suited to steady resolve and the quiet removal of obstacles.

What follows sets out the 2026 timings, the classical background, the steps of the fast and puja, and the mantras commonly used on the day. Local panchang values should always be checked for the reader’s own city.

Date and auspicious timings for 2026

In 2026 Krishna Narasimha Dwadashi falls on Sunday, 15 March. Approximate IST values used across much of India are:

• Dwadashi tithi begins: 15 March 2026, about 9:16 a.m.
• Dwadashi tithi ends: 16 March 2026, about 9:40 a.m.
• Fast observed: 15 March 2026
• Parana (breaking the fast): 16 March morning, after sunrise and before the tithi ends

Many panchangs also note Shravana nakshatra running into the early hours of the 16th, and the presence of Vishnushrinkhala yoga on the Dwadashi. Brahma muhurta before dawn on the 15th, or the Abhijit window later that day, is preferred for sankalpa and puja.

These figures are general. For the exact tithi, nakshatra and Rahu Kalam in your own city, consult the free daily panchang or the month-by-month tithi calendar.

The legend of Narasimha and Prahlada

The heart of the observance is the well-known account preserved in the Bhagavata Purana and the Vishnu Purana. The asura king Hiranyakashipu had received a boon that he could not be slain by man or beast, by day or night, indoors or outdoors, on earth or in the sky. Confident of invulnerability, he forbade the worship of Vishnu. His own son Prahlada, however, remained a steadfast devotee.

When the king struck a palace pillar and demanded to know where Vishnu was, the Lord emerged from that very pillar in the form of Narasimha—neither wholly man nor wholly lion—at twilight, on the threshold. With His claws He destroyed the tyrant, thereby protecting Prahlada without violating the terms of the boon.

A later vrat-katha also speaks of King Vatsa, who is said to have regained his lost kingdom after observing a Dwadashi dedicated to Vishnu in the Narasimha form. The stories are retold on this day to fix the mind on unwavering faith and divine protection.

Why the Krishna Paksha Dwadashi is kept

Two Narasimha Dwadashis appear in the lunar year. The better-known one falls in the Shukla Paksha of Phalguna; the Krishna Paksha observance comes roughly a fortnight later and carries a more inward character. Tradition treats both as days for Narasimha aradhana, yet the dark fortnight is often chosen by those seeking steadiness amid difficulty.

Lord Narasimha is invoked as the destroyer of adharma and the guardian of the devotee. Classical practice links the day with courage, the quieting of fear, and the clearing of obstacles that stand in the way of dharma. In Vaishnava homes the same basic sequence—sankalpa, tulsi offering, stotra and parana—is followed whether the tithi falls in the bright or the dark half.

Those who wish to place the rite in a wider protective framework may also look at the house’s collection of protection and negative-energy homas.

How to keep the fast

Preparation begins the previous day. Sattvic food is taken, onion and garlic are avoided, and the intention for the vrat is formed quietly.

On 15 March the devotee rises early, bathes, and takes sankalpa: that the fast is kept for the grace of Lord Narasimha. Two common forms are observed:

• Nirjala or water-only fast
• Phalahar—fruits, milk, nuts and other permitted items, with grains and pulses set aside

Some households begin the fast from the preceding Ekadashi evening and continue until parana. On the morning of 16 March, after sunrise and while the Dwadashi tithi is still current, water and tulsi are first offered to the deity; only then is the fast broken with simple sattvic prasad. If health does not permit a strict fast, a light fruit observance performed with attention is accepted in tradition.

Puja steps and offerings

A clean altar is arranged with an image or murti of Lord Narasimha, often accompanied by Goddess Lakshmi. A ghee lamp and incense are lit. Offerings traditionally include tulsi leaves, lotus or marigold, sandal paste, unbroken rice (akshata), coconut, seasonal fruit and a simple sweet such as kheer or peda.

The sequence is straightforward: sankalpa, invocation, offering of the above items, recitation of stotra or sahasranama, and evening arati on the 15th. Charity—food, cloth or grain given to the needy—is customarily performed before parana. The atmosphere of the house is kept calm; arguments and harsh speech are avoided.

Where a fire offering is desired, families sometimes arrange a Lakshmi Narasimha Homam performed by priests at the ashram and telecast live. The homam follows the same tithi window and uses the classical Narasimha mantras.

Mantras recited on Krishna Narasimha Dwadashi

The following are among the texts most often used. They may be recited 108 times on a rudraksha or tulsi mala, or listened to with attention if reading is difficult. Guidance on pace and pronunciation is available in the house’s note on how to chant a mantra correctly.

Other common forms include the short nama “Om Lakshmi Narasimhaya Namah”, the Narasimha Gayatri (“Om Narasimhaye vidmahe vajra-nakhaya dhimahi tanno simhah prachodayat”), and the fuller Narasimha Kavacham or Vishnu Sahasranama. The vibration of the name is held to matter more than polished delivery.

Questions devotees ask