What is Tulasī Vivāha, and how do we do it at home?

the ceremonial wedding of the tulasī plant to Viṣṇu (as Śāligrāma or Kṛṣṇa) on Prabodhinī Ekādaśī or Dvādaśī, which opens the wedding season.

Tradition says Vṛndā, a devoted wife, became the tulasī plant, and Viṣṇu promised to marry her in that form; so each year, when he wakes from his four-month rest, the wedding is celebrated. Families without daughters often treat it as giving a daughter in marriage, which is considered very meritorious.

At home: clean and decorate the tulasī pot, make a small maṇḍapa of sugarcane stalks, and dress tulasī as a bride with a red chunrī, bangles and sindūr. Place a Śāligrāma or Kṛṣṇa image beside her. Do a short pūjā, tie the two with a thread, take the pheras by carrying Śāligrāma around the plant, sing maṅgala songs, and offer sweets, amla, sugarcane and seasonal fruits.

In Maharashtra and Gujarat it is often celebrated over several evenings until Kārtika Pūrṇimā. Simple or grand, it is a joyful family occasion.

Tradition says Vṛndā’s devotion protected her husband Jalandhara until Viṣṇu broke it; grieving, she cursed him to become a stone (Śāligrāma), and he blessed her to be worshipped forever as tulasī, always beside him.

Day: Prabodhinī Ekādaśī or Dvādaśī (Kārtika śukla) · Source: Padma Purāṇa; common family practice

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