Tulsi Vivah Festivals

Tulsi. According to Hindu mythology, Tulsi is ceremonially married to Lord Vishnu annually on the 11th bright day of the month of Kartika in the lunar calendar. The festival continues for five days and concludes on the full moon day. This ritual, called the "Tulsi Vivah", inaugurates the annual marriage season in India.

Yogmaya Joshi, a resident of the city, said that this marriage ceremony is an old tradition and people celebrate it with full devotion. "Guruji (teacher) will come to marry Tulsi, taking out a huge procession. This is age old tradition," she said.

The story of Tulsi Vivah is from Padma Puran which revolves round Tulsi, the plant Ocimum Sanctum. Tulsi in her former birth was Vrinda, the faithful wife of demon Jalandhar who, being born in water, claimed sovereignty over the ocean. He demanded the 14 treasures churned out of the ocean in Vishnu's second incarnation. Jalandhar declares war and becomes a cause of danger to the gods. More so because of a boon that he would be free from death till his wife Vrinda was chaste. As a last resort to kill Jalandhar, Vishnu beguiles Vrinda by assuming her husband's form. Vrinda in her wrath curses and turns Lord Vishnu into a black stone (Salagram) for his deceit. Vishnu too retaliates but in admiration of her impeccable chastity and piety, he transfers her into the sacred Tulsi plant and promises to marry her annually on this day of Kartik. The origin of the ammonite black stone or Salagram found on the bed of the river Gandaki may be attributed to their legend.

As a consequence, all devout Hindu women worship the Tulsi plant with flowers and milk assuming Lord Vishnu to be present on it on this auspicious day. Literally a mock marriage is performed between the Tulsi and the Salagram. The belief is that one who performs this ceremony of giving away Tulsi considering them to be one's own daughters, gets the credit as making a Kanyadan which is regarded as an extremely meritorious act in Hindu religion.