The Hindu festival of Matsya
Jayanti celebrates the birth anniversary of Lord Matsya, who is believed to be
the first avatar of Lord Vishnu in the form of Fish, during the Satya Yuga.
According to the Hindu mythology,
the ‘Matsya Avatar’ is a one-horned fish that appeared during the ‘Mahapralay’. In the Hindu calendar,
Matsya Jayanti is generally observed on the ‘Tritiya’ (3rd day) during the
‘Shukla Paksha’in the month of ‘Chaitra’. Matsya Jayanti is an important day
for Hindu devotees.
On this day, special arrangements
and pujas are performed in Lord Vishnu temples all over the country. The
‘Nagalapuram Veda Narayana Swamy Temple’, close to Tirupati, in the state of
Andhra Pradesh is the only temple in India that is dedicated to Matsya Avatar
of Lord Vishnu. The celebrations here are very grand and special programmes are
organised for the day.
Rituals during Matsya Jayanti
On this day, devotees keep a fast
to please Lord Vishnu. The vrat on Matsya Jayanti commences from the previous
night and the observer of this fast refrains from eating or even drinking a sip
of water. The fast continues till the sunrise of the following day and devotees
break their fast only after worshipping Lord Vishnu. Reciting the ‘Matsya
Purana’ and ‘Vishnu Sahasranaam’ is also very auspicious. On this day, one must
donate food, clothes or money also distribute among the poor and needy.
Significance of Matsya Jayanti
As per the Hindu legends, Matsya Avatar was the first of the ten incarnations ‘Dashavatar’ of Sri Hari Vishnu. Matsya represented a one horned fish and in this avatar, Lord Vishnu warned King Manu about the cosmic deluge and even saved the universe from the demon named ‘Damanaka’.