Narada Jayanti

Narada Jayanti (Sanskrit: नारद जयंती ) is a Hindu festival to celebrate the birth of the celestial sage Devashree Narada. It is considered an auspicious day by Hindus. It is celebrated on the Pratipada Tithi of Krishna Paksha in the Hindu Month of Jyestha across the Indian subcontinent.

Background
According to Hindu texts, Devashree Narada was the manasaputra of the Lord Brahma. He was the seer of the thirteenth sutra of the eighth Mandala of the Rigaveda. The Vaishnavite community view him as a divine soul who was the devotee of Lord Vishnu. He promoted and communicated the legends of Lord Vishnu among others. His famous praying quotes on Lord Vishnu was

"Om Narayan! Narayan! Narayan!"

He was well versed in Vedas and other texts in Sanatana tradition. Devashree Narada is mentioned in Ramayana, Mahabharata and Puranas, etc. According to the texts like Bhakti Purana of Sanatana Dharma, the important works attributed to him are Narada Purana, Narada Smriti and Narada Bhakti Sutras, etc. In Hinduism, he is considered as the celestial sage and messenger for Devatas as well as Asuras, and human lives on the planet.

Story of Narada Jayanti
According to mythological story, Devashree Narada was cursed to be born on the earth in his previous life when he was a Gandharva. Due to the curse, he was born in a servant family. His father was a servant of a group of holy priests. Narada also served those priests just like his father. Narada's diligence impressed the priests a lot and they gave him blessings and prasad from Lord Vishnu. Narada also became the dedicated devotee of Lord Vishnu. It is said that after the death of his mother, he left his home and wandered in forest for the search of enlightenment. It is said that when he was meditating under a tree in the forest, Lord Vishnu appeared there and informed Narada that he would assume his divine form only after his death. After that Narada dedicated his life to the service of Lord Vishnu and became famous as a prominent supporter and devotee of Lord Vishnu. It is said that by the grace of Lord Vishnu, the divine form of Narada was born again after his death.

Observaces
During Narada Jayanti, devotees participate in fasting, worship, and listening stories of Devashree Narada. On this day devotees bath before the sunrise and fast for whole day. They offer Chandan, leaves of Tulsi, Agarbatti, flowers and sweets to Devashree Narada and Lord Vishnu.They distribute Prasada in temples, and some devotees distribute clothes to poor people. Devotees of Lord Vishnu worship Devashree Narada due to his knowledge, wisdom, and devotion to Lord Vishnu. The devotees pray and wish for wisdom, knowledge and prosperity in their lives. It is believed that on the day of Narada Jayanti, feeding Brahmins and giving donations to them brings virtuous results. Similarly, it is also believed that any one who recites “Shree Narada Stotra” on this auspicious day becomes intelligent and all his troubles can go away. According to legend, Devashree Narada is also considered as the celestial journalist in Hinduism, so in different parts of the country, Journalists felicitation ceremony is also organised by some social, cultural and media organisations on the Narada Jayanti.