Narayan Bali Puja is a specific Hindu ritual performed for the liberation (Moksha) of souls who have suffered an ‘akal mrityu’ or ‘durmaran’ – an unnatural or untimely death. This includes death by accident, suicide, snake bite, drowning, murder, certain diseases like cholera, or death while away from home (pravas). It is essentially a Vedic funeral rite performed to appease Lord Narayana (Vishnu) for the soul’s peace, helping them transition from the Preta Yoni (spirit realm) to the Pitru Loka (ancestral realm) or attain liberation.