Vamana Jayanti is an important day as it is celebrated on the birth anniversary of the Vamana avatar of Lord Vishnu. Observed on the Dwadashi Tithi of Bhadrapada Shukla Paksha, the day is marked as the appearance day of Lord Vamana.
The highest deity is believed to have appeared as the son of Kashyapa and Aditi in the form of a dwarf Brahmana to teach Bali Maharaj a lesson, a devotee born in the family of demons. As per the Bhagwat Purana, Lord Vamana was the fifth avatar out of the Dashavatara of Lord Vishnu.
According to Drik Panchang, “After the first four Avatars in the animal form, namely, Matsya (fish), Kurma (tortoise), Varaha (boar) and Narasimha (lion), Vamana was the first Avatar of Lord Vishnu in the human form. Vamana was born in the Treta Yuga.”
Vamana Jayanti Date and Muhurat
This year, the Jayanti will be celebrated on September 04, 2025. The shubh muhurat for the Dwadashi tithi commences at 4:21 AM on September 04, 2025, and Dwadashi tithi concludes at 4:08 AM on September 05, 2025.
Shravana Nakshatra Begins – 11:44 PM on September 04, 2025
Shravana Nakshatra Ends – 11:38 PM on September 05, 2025
Vamana Jayanti Puja Vidhi
- For Vamana Jayanti, the devotees should wake up early in the morning and take a bath.
- Place the idol of the deity for the Panchopachara or Shodashopachara Puja. The deity is adorned with a saffron or yellow cloth.
- Devotees observe a fast till noon on the Jayanti and post the puja in the evening, Vrat katha is narrated to break the fast. After the aarti, you must distribute the prasad to the worshippers.
- It is believed that donating rice, mishri and curd on the day brings about good luck.
- Devotees can also chant, “chalayasi vikramane balim adbhuta-vamana| pada-nakha-nira-janita-jana-pavana| kesava dhrta-vamana-rupa jaya jagadisa hare” throughout the day.
Story of Vamana Avatar
Lord Vamana measured all three worlds in three steps to break the pride of Prahlad’s grandson, King Bali. The king started threatening the gods and brahmins by abusing his powers, and he started expanding his kingdom. He became the king of Swarga Loka, Patala Loka and Bhu Loka.
After Lord Indra was dethroned from his kingdom, he approached Lord Vishnu, and the deity assured him that he would take birth as the son of Aditi and Kashyapa in the form of a dwarf Brahmin to save the three lokas. Lord Vamana asked for 3 steps of land as Bhiksha from the invincible King Bali, and he immediately agreed to it.
Lord Vamana immediately transformed into a gigantic form and measured the whole earth in one stride. In the second step, he measured the heaven, and when Vamana Dev was about to take the third step, Bali realised that the dwarf monk was no other than Lord Vishnu himself. To honour the deity, Bali offered his head for the third stride.
Moved by Bali’s benevolence, Lord Vishnu pushed him to the Patala lok or netherworld and granted him a boon to visit his kingdom once a year. The annual homecoming is celebrated widely in Kerala as Onam.