Narayan Nagbali is a three-day ritual performed at Trimbakeshwar in the Nashik District [Maharashtra, India. It consists of two important rituals entitled Narayan Bali and Nag Bali, which are performed on the first and second day respectively. The third day is reserved for a ritual called Ganesh Pujan, Punya Wachan and Nag Pujan.
This ritual is performed to appease Lord Narayana for an individual who has undergone an abnormal, unnatural or untimely death. The 40th chapter of the Garuda Purana is dedicated to the Narayan Bali Rites. Narayan bali is a necessary ritual which is performed to relieve the dead person's soul who has undergone abnormal death whereas Nag bali is performed to get rid of the sin caused by killing a snake, especially a cobra, which is worshiped throughout India. Narayan Nagbali is performed mainly at Trimbakeshwar, Nashik District .
Narayan Bali Puja (in all cases of abnormal death) is a necessary ritual described in Garuda Purana which is performed in all cases of abnormal death, defined as follows: death by fasting, by animals, by accident, by arson, by a curse, by cholera or any unusual disease which suddenly caused untimely death, suicide, fall from a mountain, tree or any height, drowning, death by muggers or robbers, by snake bite, struck by lightning, murder and persons who are great sinners. For all these people there is neither ritual for cremation, nor tarpana, nor sraddha nor asaucham. Narayan Bali consists of the same ritual as a Hindu funeral. An dummy body mostly made of wheat dough is used. Vedic Mantras are chanted to invoke such lost souls. The ritual makes them possess the dummy body which is later set alight. The pyre causes the soul to liberate and transcend. One should consult a good Brahmin for Narayan Bali Puja to relieve the dead person's soul and to help reach its destination i.e. Yamaloka.
Nag Bali ritual is same as a Narayan Bali, the only difference is that instead of a dummy human body, a dummy body of a snake (made of dough) is used but the purpose of both the rituals are entirely different.
It is worth noting that Narayana Bali is an entirely different ritual from Nag Bali since the former is a necessary ritual practiced to relieve the dead person's soul who has undergone an abnormal death to help reach its destination otherwise such unfortunate souls keep wandering restlessly. There is no other way to relieve such souls other than this ritual as described in Garuda Purana. On the other hand, Nag Bali is done to get rid of the sin caused by killing a snake or cobra. Hence, if in one's family someone undergoes an abnormal or untimely death, one must perform Narayana Bali by consulting a karma-kandi Brahmin to help relieve the dead person's soul whereas one must perform Nag Bali at Trimbakeshwar, Nashik District, if a snake, especially a cobra is killed knowingly or unknowingly to help relieve one's family from the curse of killing a cobra.