Evil


Other names- Baali, Balee, Baalee

Bali was a famous demon king and grand son of Prahlad, the greatest devotee of Vishnu. Bali staunchly observed penance, attained great power and strength and after defeating Indra established his rule over all three worlds. Bali was born of Devamba to Virochan, the son of Prahlad. He grew up under the tutelage of his grandfather who instilled in him a sense of righteousness and Bhakti. He expanded his kingdom and usurped the heaven. The vanquished Devtas then complained to their protector Vishnu, who assured them that he himself would restore the authority of Devas. Bali, at the behest of his Guru Shukracharya decided to conduct the Ashwamedh Yagya. During the Yagya, Vishnu, in the guise of a small Brahmin boy (Vaman), appeared before Bali and asked for three paces of land. Bali, who had vowed not to refuse anyone, promptly granted the wish, even ignoring the warnings of his guru Shukracharya who warned him that the Brahmin in disguise was Vishnu himself and by asking three pace of land he would take away all his territory. Vishnu had come in disguise to help out Indra. But Bali replied saying that it he was fortunate that Lord Vishnu himself was asking for three pace of earth from him and even if he would become poor, he would stand by his promise and give the Brahmin what he had asked for. Vaman measured all the worlds and the sky with two paces. Then, Bali offered his head for the third pace and was thus banished to the Pataal (nether land). Impressed by Bali's unselfish devotion and unwavering "dharma", Bali was given the kingdom of 'Sutal lok' which had even more splendors than the heaven. Vishnu also promised him that he (Lord Vishnu) would always remain with him as his protector by being a doorkeeper (dwaarpaal) of his kingdom in 'Sutal lok'. King Bali made a last request. He requested that he be allowed to visit his subjects once in a year to ensure that his people were still happy, well fed and content. Lord Vishnu was pleased to grant Mahabali his wish. Vishnu granted him the permission to visit his subjects once every year. And thus, once a year, on the sixteenth day of Kartika-the second day of Deepawali when the day is short and the night is long, Bali returns to visit his people, who greet him with great rejoicing. .

Also Lord Vishnu disguised himself, as Bali's doorman, and protected him from all dangers .As a result, Vaikunth was devoid of the Lord and Goddess Lakshmi became restless. She descended on earth as a Brahmin woman in an attempt to bring back her love. She told Bali, that her husband has gone away for a long errand and she needed a place to stay. King Bali welcomed her full heartedly and protected her as his own sister. Since the arrival of the Brahmin woman, i.e., the Goddess herself the entire household of Bali was suddenly blooming with happiness, wealth, and harvest.

Finally, on the day of Purnima in the month of Shravan, Goddess Lakshmi tied a thread of colored cotton on Bali's wrist and prayed for protection and happiness. Touched by her sincerity, Bali granted her the wish to ask for anything. Immediately, Goddess Lakshmi pointed at the gatekeeper and requested Bali to return her husband. Confused, Bali asked how a mere guard can be the husband of such a virtuous lady! It was then, both Lord Vishnu and Goddess Lakshmi revealed their true identities. Bali, being a virtuous man and a protective brother, requested the Lord to go back to Vaikunth with the Goddess. But to keep his promise, every year, the Lord came back for about four months during the monsoon season.

In order to commemorate Bali's devotion to the lord and his sister, the Goddess, this festival is also known as Balev. Since then, brothers all over the world follow the tradition of inviting their sisters for tying the thread of love and celebrating Raksha Bandhan.Demon king Bali, became an immortal character in the ancient stories because of his benevolence and commitment.