Tulsi Vivah 2020: Know significance, history, date and rangoli designs

In Hindu homes, Tulsi plant is considered a divine part of God. Tulsi Vivah is a festival celebrated by Hindus where a ceremonial marriage of the Tulsi is performed. It is considered that in this festival, the Goddess Tulsi is married to the Guardian God.

According to a book, Among the Hindus: A Study of Hindu Festivals by R. Manohar Lall (1933), in Hindu mythology, Lord Vishnu or Shaligram is regarded as the guardian God. Another avatar of Lord Vishnu is Lord Krishna. Therefore, some Hindus perform a ceremonial marriage between the Tulsi plant and Lord Krishna.

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When is Tulasi Vivah 2020?

This year, Tulsi Vivah is being celebrated on November 26. The Tulsi Vivah is a one-day long celebration. It is an annual festival and ends the next day on Kartik Poornima.

Tulsi Vivah history

According to the Hindu scriptures, the plant Tulsi bears the soul of a woman called Vrinda. Vrinda was an incarnation of Goddess Lakshmi. Vrinda was married to an Asura king called Jalandhar.

Vrinda was devoted to Lord Vishnu, which in turn made Jalandhar invincible. No lord was ever able to defeat Jalandhar due to his might and power. So the devatas went to Lord Vishnu to find a solution to defeat Jalandhar.

One day, as Jalandhar was leaving for war, Vrinda promised him that she would pray for him and his victory. She further said that she would immerse herself in the prayers so deeply for his well-being that until he returns, she shall keep praying. During this time, Lord Vishnu disguised himself as a Jalandhar and appeared in front of Vrinda when Jalandhar was away on war.

Vrinda assumed that it was her husband and ended her prayer and touched the feet of Lord Vishnu in his disguised self. Jalandhar lost his power as the prayer ended without him winning and he was killed by Lord Shiva. Only when his head fell in Vrindas palace, she realised that it was Lord Vishnu in the disguise of her husband.

Vrinda cursed Lord Vishnu to become Shaligram, a fossized shell, and be separated from his wife. She drowned herself in the ocean but the Gods transferred her soul to a plant. The plant was called Tulsi.

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Tulsi Vivah significance

Lord Vishnu had blessed Vrinda to marry him in her next life. Therefore, Lord Vishnu, in the form of a Shaligram married Tulsi on Prabodhini Ekadashi. Tulsi Vivah commemorates the marriage of Lord Vishnu and Tulsi.

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Tulsi Vivah rangoli designs

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