Tulsi Vivah 2019: Date, Puja Vidhi, shubh Muharat and Significance

New Delhi, Nov 08: Tulsi Vivah 2019 is the ceremonial marriage of the Tulsi plant to the Hindu god Shaligram. It is one of the most auspicious days in the Hindu calendar, is being celebrated on November 9.

It signifies the end of the monsoon and the beginning of the wedding season in Hinduism.

Generally, this ceremonial festival is performed anytime between Prabodhini Ekadashi (the eleventh or twelfth lunar day of the bright fortnight of the Hindu month of Kartik) and Kartik Poornima (the full moon of the month).

On this day, married women observe this ceremony to remain blessed in marital bliss.

History and Significance:

Tulsi is venerated as a goddess in Hinduism and is considered as a wife of Vishnu, with the epithet, "Vishnupriya", "the beloved of Vishnu". The legend behind Tulsi Vivah and its rites are told in the scripture, Padma Purana. According to these legends, there was demon king Jalandhar who was infamous for his evil acts and his success lay in the virtuous character of his beloved wife Brinda.

The Gods wanted to end this but even Lord Shiv could not defeat Jalandhar, so he requested Vishnu to find a solution. Lord Vishnu disguised himself as Jalandhar and tricked Vrinda by touching her. She realized it was not her husband but Vishnu. This destroyed her chastity.

After that, the legends say that Jalandhar lost in the fight and died. When his wife, Brinda came to know about this, she cursed Lord Vishnu to become a stone named Shaligram and performed and immolated herself on her husband's pyre. After this, Lord Vishnu, converted her soul into Tulsi plant and promised to marry her and that's how the Shaligram stone married Tulsi plant.

Date and Shubh Muhurat timings:

The date and puja timings for the Tulsi Vivah 2019 are as follows:

Sunrise: November 09, 2019 6:40 am

Sunset: November 09, 2019 5:40 pm

Dwadashi Tithi begins: November 08, 2019 12:24 pm

Dwadashi Tithi ends: November 09, 2019 2:39 pm

How is Tulsi Vivah celebrated?

Tulsi Vivah can be celebrated either in temples or at home. Usually, a fast or Tulsi Vivah vrat is kept till the evening when the rituals are started. The ceremony begins with bathing a Tulsi plant and a Vishnu idol and decorating both with garlands and flowers. The Tulsi plant is decorated like a bride with a red sari, jewellery and bindi. The Vishnu idol is dressed in dhoti. A thread is then tied to link the couple.

The ceremony ends with people showering vermilion and rice on the couple. After that, Prasad is distributed among the devotees.

Dev Uthani Ekadashi 2019:

Dev Uthani Ekadashi, also known as Prabodhini Ekadashi and Devutthana Ekadashi, is a festival where Hindu devotees pray and perform puja for a happy married life. This year, it is also being celebrated on 8 November 2019. Tulsi Vivah is a ritual performed on this day, wherein a ceremonial marriage of Lord Vishnu and a Tulsi plant takes place. The occasion also marks the start of the auspicious period considered ideal for Hindu marriages.

Dev Uthani Ekadashi or Devutthana Ekadashi is a Hindu festival that is celebrated with reverence to Hindu God Vishnu. The festival is majorly celebrated in the states of Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Bihar, Jharkhand and Maharashtra. It is a ritual to wake up Hindu God Vishnu, who is believed to be sleeping since Shayani Ekadashi that comes four months before the Dev uthani ekadashi. Dev Uthani means to wake up God. On this day, Lord Vishnu is awakened.