JAMMU, NOVEMBER 15: Devout Hindus observed Tulsi Vivah across Jammu division on Monday to mark the ceremonial marriage of Tulsi plant (holi Basil) to Saligram (Lord Vishnu).
Tulsi Vivah is one of the important days for all Hindus as on this day Tulsi and Saligram got married. This auspicious day falls between Prabodhini Ekadashi and Kartik Purnima.
As per Hindu scriptures, Tulsi was a woman named Vrinda married to asura king Jalandhar. Devtas couldn’t defeat Jalandhar as he became invincible due to her devotion to Lord Vishnu. Vrinda promised a sankalpa for the victory of Jalandhar till he returns from the war. Lord Vishnu destroyed the Sankalpa of Vrinda by disguising himself as Jalandhar.
Vrinda cursed Lord Vishnu to become Saligram and to be seperated from his wife Devi Lakshmi. Vrinda then got drowned in the ocean, the Lord Vishnu then transferred her soul to a plant, which was afterwards worshipped as Tulsi.
With the blessings of Lord Vishnu, in her next birth on the day of Prabodhini Ekadashi Tulsi got married to Vishnu in the form of Saligram. The ceremonial Tulsi Vivah is performed to commemorate this event.
Tulsi Vivah resembles the traditional Hindu wedding. The bride Tulsi is dressed with saree or lehnga and ornaments. Bindi is applied on a leaf or a human face affixed on the plant is decorated with bindi and nose-ring. The groom is either brass image or picture of Vishnu or Krishna or a black holy stone, the symbol of Lord Vishnu, draped around with dhoti. Both Vishnu and Tulsi are given bath and decorated with garlands. with a sacred thread and wedding ceremony is performed.
Devotees observe fast on this day.
