Tulsi Vivah – Marriage Ceremony of Tulsi Plant
As per Hinduism even the plants and rivers are also very pious and hence they have separate importance in various rituals. The leaf of Tulsi and Tulsi plant is considered as holy and hence people worship Tulsi also. Tulsi Vivah is observed to celebrate the marriage of the Tulsi Plant. The holy basil is not just any ordinary plant and due to a number of its benefits it enjoys great importance in Hindu culture. It is essential for every festival and people worship them regularly. You can see a tulsi plant in most Hindu household across the country. This festival is observed on the eleventh day during the Karthika Masa all over the country. On this day, people decorate the tulsi plant and the vrundavan with various flowers and offer aarti and puja to the holy plant.
Rituals of Tulsi Vivah :
In rural areas, people sprinkle Gomutra and dung in front of the house and wash them thoroughly. It is said to purify all the negative energies from the surrounding place. However, in cities, people just clean the home and begin the puja. Usually the tulsi plant is kept in a pot and the pot is decorated with flowers. People also paint the pot in white colour and bright colours on top of it and make it attractive. Rangoli is drawn around the pot in various colours. Later, the Tulsi Devi is invoked into the pot and worshipped by chanting the Sri Krishna mantras. It is said that Lord Krishna lives in the Tulsi plant and this is the reason for the plant to attain a high status in our culture. People perform puja and offer various rituals including a particular arati. They also light lamps and incense sticks around the pot in the evening and sing bhajans. The devotees who visit the house are given prasad after the puja. The Tulsi plant is very significant even from the scientific point of view and there are many medicinal uses of this plant. It is believed that putting tulsi leaves in a pot of water will purify the water and you can see this in many temples across the country.