Festival · Kartika Shukla Dwadashi
Tulsi Vivah 2026
Today the tulsi in the courtyard becomes a bride, married to Vishnu as the Shaligram. It's the first wedding of the season; after it, the weddings begin.
Date, tithi and timing
Times are for Kolhapur. The app gives times for your city.
Date by city
The date is the same in every city listed.
Next year, 2027
Quick facts
- Also known asTulsi's wedding, Tulasi Kalyanam (Andhra Pradesh, Telangana)
- WhereAll of India, at home and in temples
- Puja forTulsi, a form of Lakshmi, and Vishnu as the Shaligram or Balkrishna
- In one lineTulsi is married to Vishnu as the Shaligram; the wedding season opens after it.
Tulsi Vivah, in a little more detail
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About the festival
Tulsi Vivah is the tulsi plant's wedding to Vishnu, who comes as a Shaligram stone or an image of Balkrishna. It can be held on any evening from Prabodhini Ekadashi to Kartika Purnima; in Maharashtra it's mostly on Dwadashi.
Tulsi is held to be a form of Lakshmi. The vrindavan in the courtyard is watered, worshipped and given a lamp every day, mostly by the women of the house. Once a year, that daily care becomes a full wedding.
And once it's done, the wedding season begins. Vishnu is awake, Chaturmas is over, and the year's first wedding is Tulsi's. Something you look after quietly every day gets its own celebration: that's the joy in it.
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Vrinda's story
Jalandhar, an asura born from the fire of Shiva's third eye, grew strong enough to defeat the gods. His wife Vrinda was a deep devotee of Vishnu, and her faithfulness made him unbeatable.
When Jalandhar went to war with Shiva, Vishnu came to Vrinda in her husband's form, and her vow was broken. Jalandhar fell. When she saw the truth, Vrinda cursed Vishnu: in one telling, to be parted from his wife as she had been, which came true as Rama and Sita; in another, to turn to stone, the Shaligram. Then she gave herself to the fire.
Grieving, Vishnu promised to marry her. Vrinda became the tulsi plant, and every year Vishnu, as the Shaligram, keeps that promise. That's why the tulsi is married to a Shaligram, and why she is so dear to Vishnu.
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In Maharashtra and beyond
The tulsi vrindavan is painted with geru (red ochre) and lime, and many write "bor chinch avla" on it. Jujube, tamarind, amla, custard apple and onion stalks go into the pot, and a mandap of sugarcane goes up over it.
Tulsi gets a new sari, haldi-kunku and a mangalsutra; the groom is Balkrishna or the Shaligram. A cloth, the antarpat, is held between them while mangalashtakas are sung, and at "shubhamangal savdhan" everyone throws akshata. The head of the house gives the bride away, then come the mantrapushpa and aarti.
Prasad is sugarcane, coconut slices, fruit and groundnuts. In some places a childless couple stands in as Tulsi's parents. In many homes the Diwali akash kandil stays up until Tulsi's wedding.
In Andhra Pradesh and Telangana it's Tulasi Kalyanam, on Dwadashi, with an amla branch as the groom. In Saurashtra, Lalji is carried in a palanquin from one Rama temple to Tulsi at another, a full wedding procession.
How to do the puja
In short: A fast till evening, Tulsi the bride, Balkrishna the groom, mangalashtakas and akshata, then prasad.
- 1In the day, clean the tulsi vrindavan and decorate it.Paint it with geru and lime, put jujube, amla and tamarind in the pot, and raise a mandap of four sugarcane stalks.
- 2Keep a fast until the evening wedding.Many who give the bride away fast all day. Health first: fruit and milk are fine.
- 3In the evening, bathe and seat the groom beside the tulsi.The groom is Balkrishna or a Shaligram, on a low stool or a chaurang, in a new cloth.
- 4Dress the tulsi as a bride.A new sari or cloth, haldi-kunku, a mangalsutra and bangles. In some homes, a turmeric-and-oil bath first.
- 5Worship Ganesha first, then Tulsi and Krishna.Offer sandalwood paste, flowers and haldi-kunku, and light a lamp and incense. Keep the lamp away from the cloth and the mandap.
- 6Hold the antarpat, sing the mangalashtakas, and throw akshata at the end.At "shubhamangal savdhan", move the antarpat away, and everyone throws akshata.
- 7The head of the house gives the bride away; then the mantrapushpa and the aarti.Place Tulsi's hand in Krishna's, in spirit. Then say the mantrapushpa and do the aarti.
- 8Offer naivedya and share the prasad with everyone.Sugarcane, coconut slices, fruit and groundnuts. Many homes cook a wedding meal too.
What you needTick as you go
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Frequently asked questions
Which day can I hold it?
Any evening from Kartika Shuddha Ekadashi to Kartika Purnima. In Maharashtra most homes hold it on Dwadashi, the day the calendar shows.
What if I don't have a Shaligram?
A Balkrishna image, or a picture of Vishnu or Krishna, works just as well.
I only have a tulsi pot in a flat. Is that enough?
Yes. Set the pot on a low stool, and if there's no sugarcane, make a small mandap of flowers or leaves.
Do I have to fast?
Many fast until the wedding, especially whoever gives the bride away. If you're unwell, have fruit and milk, or just do the puja.
Do I need a priest?
No. A priest can sing the mangalashtakas, but in many homes the family sings them and holds the wedding itself.
Set a reminder in the app
The app sends a notice the day before and on the day, even offline.