Varaha Jayanti 2026: 13 September Date, Madhyahna Muhurat, Puja Vidhi & Katha

There is a moment in the Puranas that every devotee should sit with at least once: the Earth herself has been dragged to the bottom of the cosmic ocean, and there is nobody left to save her. No army marches. No sage chants. Instead, from the nostril of Brahma, a creature the size of a thumb emerges — and then grows, and grows, until it fills the sky. A boar. And that boar dives.

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That is Varaha, the third avatar of Bhagwan Vishnu, and this Sunday we honour the day he appeared. Varaha Jayanti is one of the quieter dates on the Bhadrapada calendar — it sits in the same week as Hartalika Teej and Ganesh Chaturthi, and it often gets overlooked. But for anyone who has ever felt their own life sinking, this is the most personal festival of the fortnight.

Varaha Jayanti 2026: Date & Timings

Varaha Jayanti is observed on Bhadrapada Shukla Paksha Tritiya. Because Bhagwan Varaha is said to have manifested at midday, the puja is traditionally performed during Madhyahna kaal — the middle fifth of the daylight hours — rather than at sunrise or in the evening.

Madhyahna kaal shifts by city because it is calculated from your local sunrise and sunset. Please confirm the exact window in your regional panchang before you begin. The same Tritiya window in Bhadrapada also carries Hartalika Teej, so many households observe both across these two days.

The Story: Why Vishnu Became a Boar

The katha begins, as so many do, at the gates of Vaikuntha. Two gatekeepers — Jaya and Vijaya — turn away the child-sages Sanaka, Sanandana, Sanatana and Sanatkumara. The sages curse them to be born on earth as demons. Vishnu, unable to undo the curse, offers a choice: seven lifetimes as devotees, or three lifetimes as enemies. They choose three, because three lifetimes of enmity means returning to him sooner.

Their first birth is as Hiranyaksha and Hiranyakashipu. Hiranyaksha grows drunk on power. He challenges the devas, subdues the oceans, and finally does the unthinkable — he rolls up Prithvi, the Earth herself, like a mat and drags her down into the Rasatala, the lowest depths of the cosmic waters.

Brahma, watching creation itself go under, prays. And from his nostril emerges a boar no bigger than a thumb. Within moments it swells to the size of a mountain, roars until the three worlds shake, and plunges into the ocean.

What follows is not a quick rescue. Varaha searches the depths with his sense of smell, finds the Earth, and lifts her on his tusks. Hiranyaksha confronts him there, in the dark water, and the two fight for a thousand years before the demon falls. Then Varaha rises, carrying Bhudevi on his tusks, and gently sets her back in place upon the waters.

What the story is actually teaching

Three things worth carrying home from this katha:

• The rescue begins small. The avatar that saves the world starts the size of a thumb. Whatever you are trying to lift in your own life, it is allowed to start small.
• He goes down, not around. Varaha does not summon the Earth back up. He descends into the filth and darkness himself. Divinity that refuses to get dirty is not the divinity of the Puranas.
• Even enmity is a route home. Jaya and Vijaya chose the fastest path back to Vishnu, even though it meant being destroyed by him. In Sanatan Dharma, nothing that turns towards the Divine is wasted.

This is also why Varaha is worshipped by farmers and landholders across Bharat — he is the deity who literally set the ground beneath our feet. Prayers on this day are commonly made for the stability of land, home, property matters and family security.

Varaha Jayanti Puja Vidhi — Step by Step

1. Snan & sankalp. Bathe early, wear clean clothes (yellow or white is ideal for Vishnu puja), and take a sankalp holding water, akshat and a flower in your right palm — state your name, gotra and the wish you are offering the puja for.
2. Prepare the sthan. Clean the puja space, spread a yellow cloth on a chowki, and place an image or idol of Bhagwan Varaha with Bhudevi. If you do not have a Varaha murti, a Vishnu image or a Shaligram is entirely acceptable.
3. Kalash sthapana. Fill a copper kalash with water and a few drops of Gangajal, place mango leaves and a coconut on top, and set it to the right of the deity.
4. Panchamrit abhishek. Bathe the idol with milk, curd, ghee, honey and sugar, then with clean water, then wipe dry.
5. Shodashopachar. Offer chandan tilak, roli, akshat, yellow flowers, dhoop, a ghee diya and tulsi patra. Tulsi is essential in any Vishnu puja.
6. Bhog. Offer panchmeva, kheer, fruit, and anything sweet made in pure desi ghee. Never offer onion or garlic.
7. Mantra jaap. Chant “Om Namo Bhagavate Varaharupaya Bhu-bhaaraaya Namah” or simply “Om Namo Bhagavate Vasudevaya”, 108 times.
8. Katha & aarti. Read or listen to the Varaha katha, blow the shankh, perform aarti with kapoor, and end with kshama-prarthana asking forgiveness for any error in the ritual.
9. Daan. Feeding cows, donating grain, or giving to those working the land is considered especially fruitful on this day.

Fasting Rules

Varaha Jayanti is not a compulsory nirjala vrat. Most households observe it as a simple, gentle fast:

• Take a phalahar vrat — fruit, milk, curd, sabudana, singhare ka atta, and sendha namak only.
• Strictly avoid grains, pulses, onion, garlic, alcohol and non-vegetarian food for the full day.
• Elders, children, pregnant women and anyone unwell should simply eat satvik food instead of fasting.
• Break the fast after the evening aarti, or the next morning after sunrise.
• Maintain brahmacharya, avoid anger and harsh speech, and keep the mind on the Naam.

Puja Samagri — What You Will Need

Frequently Asked Questions

When is Varaha Jayanti in 2026?
Sunday, 13 September 2026. The Bhadrapada Shukla Tritiya tithi runs from 07:08 AM on 13 September to 07:06 AM on 14 September.

What time should the puja be performed?
During Madhyahna kaal — roughly 11:00 AM to 1:30 PM IST in North India — because Bhagwan Varaha is believed to have manifested at midday. Check your local panchang, as this window moves with your city's sunrise and sunset.

Is fasting compulsory on Varaha Jayanti?
No. It is an optional vrat. Most devotees keep a light phalahar fast, and simply eating satvik food while performing the puja is completely acceptable.

Which avatar number is Varaha?
Varaha is the third of the ten Dashavatara, appearing in Satya Yuga after Matsya and Kurma. Narasimha follows him, and later Vamana, whose jayanti falls on 23 September 2026.

Can I worship Varaha without a Varaha idol?
Yes. A picture, a printed image, a Shaligram shila, or any Vishnu murti is fully acceptable. Bhakti matters far more than the form in front of you.

Why do farmers and property owners especially observe this day?
Because Varaha is the avatar who physically rescued and re-established the Earth. Prayers for land stability, agricultural yield, property disputes and family security are traditionally offered to him.

What else falls near Varaha Jayanti this year?
Bhadrapada is a dense month. See our Bhadrapada Maas 2026 calendar, and the guides to Parivartini Ekadashi (22 September) and Anant Chaturdashi (25 September).

A Closing Thought

Most of us are not fighting demons in a cosmic ocean. But most of us are, at some point, carrying something heavy up from a dark place — a family through a bad year, a business through a bad quarter, a mind through a bad season. Varaha Jayanti says something simple about that work: the lifting is holy. The one who dives into the mud to bring back what was lost is not diminished by the mud. He is Bhagwan.

Light a ghee diya at midday on Sunday. Offer a tulsi leaf. Say his name. And let the Earth be steady under your feet again.

Jai Shri Varaha. Jai Bhudevi.