Bali Padyami 2026

Who Celebrates This Festival?

• Families: The whole family joins the evening puja to welcome King Bali, who is believed to visit his earthly kingdom on this day, and to seek the nearness of Lord Vishnu (Vishnu Sannidhya).
• Households with Cattle: Families who keep cows, especially in Malenadu, wash, garland and worship them on this day (Gopuja).

When Should This Be Performed?

• Morning: The Balindra kote (fort) is built of fresh cow dung. In Malenadu, the cowshed is washed and the cows are worshipped at dawn.
• Evening Puja (Godhuli): The main rite, the Balindra puja, is done by the whole family at Godhuli (the hour of dusk when the cows return home). Check the puja muhurat for your city on this page.
• Night: The night is spent awake with plays of heroic tales.

The Vrat Katha (Story of King Bali and Vamana)

Long ago, there lived Bali, a king of the line of Prahlada. He had many divine virtues and performed many gifts (daan) and yajnas (sacred fire rituals). But these very deeds made him proud, and in his pride he seized the three worlds, drove out the people who lived in them, and forgot the Lord.

Mahavishnu came to Bali as Vamana and asked for land of three steps. With the first step he covered the whole earth, and with the second the sky. When he asked where he should place the third, Bali showed his own head. Hari set his foot on it and sent Bali down to Patala.

Then Bali's wife, Vindhyavali, asked the Lord whether it was right to cheat her husband in the name of a gift. The Lord answered: "I free those I favour from ignorance and pride, and I have done so for your husband."

For keeping his word, the Lord gave Bali the rule of Sutala, which is to be the seat of Indra in the Savarni Manvantara (a future age of the world), and above all granted him his own darshan for ever. By Vishnu's own boon, Bali comes to visit this earth, his kingdom, on Bali Padyami. Since that day, families have welcomed King Bali with the Balindra puja on this day.

Samagri List (Items Needed)

Gather these items before starting the evening puja:

• For the Bath: Oil for the ritual oil bath (Abhyanga Snan)
• Cow Dung: Fresh cow dung to shape the kote, Balindra, Ganapati and the small figures for the threshold
• Rangoli: Rangoli powder in five colours to draw Balindra
• Lamps & Offerings: Diya, Dhoop (incense) and Naivedya
• For the Cows (Malenadu): Flowers for garlands, a tray of fruit, and the plants kanchikaddi and brahmadande

Puja Vidhi (Step-by-Step Guide)

Follow these step-by-step instructions carefully to perform the ritual correctly:

Step 1: The Oil Bath

1. Begin the day with the Abhyanga Snan, rubbing oil on the body before you bathe.
2. Remember the Kannada saying that Ugadi is for eating, but Deepavali is for bathing.

Step 2: Worshipping the Cows (Dawn)

1. Wash the cowshed at dawn and shape a Ganapati of cow dung, decorating it with flowers.
2. Set braids of the kanchikaddi and brahmadande plants beside it.
3. Wash all the cows and garland them, then offer them a tray of fruit (in many places this worship of the cows is also called Govardhan Puja, or Annakuta).

Step 3: Building Balindra's Kote

1. Build a kote of seven rings from fresh cow dung near the tulasi katte (the raised platform of the Tulasi plant), with a tower-shaped Balindra in the middle.
2. Set a Ganapati of cow dung beside it as the guard of the kote.
3. Place small cow-dung figures at the threshold to keep evil out.

Step 4: The Balindra Puja (Godhuli)

1. At Godhuli, gather the whole family for the Balindra puja, the main rite of the day.
2. Draw Balindra with two arms in rangoli of five colours.
3. Offer Dhoop, light the Diya and place the Naivedya before Balindra.

Step 5: Arghya to Balindra

1. Offer Arghya (water offered in reverence) to Balindra, reciting: "Baliraja namastubhyam Virochanasuta prabho, Bhavishyendra surarate Vishnusannidhyado bhava."
2. The prayer means: O Bali, son of Virochana, future Indra, accept our puja and grant us the nearness of Vishnu.
3. On the coast, families call out "Balindra, Balindra, Koo... Koo... Balindra" three times and then worship him.

Step 6: The Night Vigil

1. Stay awake through the night with plays of heroic tales, which is why the day is also called Vira Pratipada.