Narayan Bali is the rite performed after an untimely or unnatural death in the family — an accident, a suicide, drowning, snakebite — for the peace of that soul. In Ujjain it is performed on the banks of the Shipra and usually runs to about three hours.
Tradition holds that in an untimely death the soul does not attain its passage, and that the effect of this remains with the family. Narayan Bali is the rite addressed to it, and it is commonly performed alongside remedies for Pitra Dosh.
This page describes traditional belief. Whether this rite is the appropriate one in your case, or another, is something the poojari advises on after looking at the family circumstances and the chart.
Tradition treats it as the rite for a death by accident, by suicide, by drowning, by snakebite, or from any other unnatural cause.
It is also performed in families where a member could not receive the proper last rites, or where the rites following a death were left incomplete.
An untimely death is traditionally held to be one of the causes of Pitra Dosh. For that reason Narayan Bali is frequently performed together with Pitra Dosh Poojan or Tripindi Shradh.
Which rite comes first, and which accompany it, is decided by the poojari from the chart and the family circumstances.
This is a longer ritual than most, usually running to about three hours, so the date needs to be fixed in advance.
Giving the name and gotra of the departed and the approximate time of death at the point of booking lets the poojari prepare the sankalp beforehand.
If you cannot travel to Ujjain, the rite is performed with the sankalp taken in your name, your gotra and the name of the departed.
You can join by video call and watch the whole ritual live, and a full video recording is sent to you afterwards.
A rite performed after an untimely or unnatural death in the family, for the peace of that soul and for relief from its effect on the family.
Families where a death occurred through accident, suicide, drowning or snakebite, or where the rites after a death were left incomplete.
Usually around three hours. It is longer than most poojas, so the date should be fixed well in advance.
Pitra Paksha and Amavasya are considered the most suitable.
Yes. The sankalp is taken in your name, your gotra and the name of the departed, and you can watch by video call.
A three-hour ritual, so the date needs reserving in advance.