By Raju Vernekar
Mumbai, Nov 29:
“Tulsi Vivah”, the ceremonial marriage of the “Tulsi” plant ( basil plant) to Lord Vishnu or his Avtar Krishna, was performed with traditional rituals in households and temples across Mumbai, Thane, Navi Mumbai and other parts of Maharashtra, with traditional fervour on Saturday.
The “Tulsi Vivah” ritual, will conclude on Monday, marking the end of the Diwali festival and the beginning of the Hindu wedding season.
At the ceremony organised at Shree Swami Samarth Mandir in Andheri West, in North West Mumbai, the devotees assembled in large number, offered prayers and participated in the ceremony, akin to usual wedding ceremony performed as per vedic rites, by the team led by Mahesh Natekar.
On the occasion the temple was illuminated with electric decorative string lights. Besides a huge attractive rangoli extending invitation of Tulsi Vivah was drawn in the temple complex.
The “Tulsi Vivah” is performed between “Prabodhini Ekadashi”, which is the eleventh lunar day of the bright fortnight of the Hindu month “Kartik” to the full moon of the month (“Kartik Poornima”). It is generally performed on the eleventh or the twelth lunar day. On the occasion, the Tulsi plant is decorated with sugarcane and marigold. It is believed that the soul of Vrinda resides in the plant at night and leaves in the morning.
As per mythology, Tulsi was a woman named Vrinda who was married to a demon king “Jalandhar”, who due to devotion to Vishnu, became invincible and even lord Shiva could not defeat him. As such he requested Vishnu to help. Vishnu disguised as “Jalandhar” and tricked Vrinda and violated her. With her chastity destroyed, Jalandhar lost his power, after which Vrinda cursed Vishnu to become black. But, in a counter move, Vishnu agreed to marry Vrinda in her next birth. Accordingly Vishnu married Tulsi on “Prabodhini Ekadashi”. Tulsi Vivah is performed, to commemorate this event.
”Tulsi” holds a very prominent place in the Hindu household and women worship the plant daily. On Tulsi Vivah, the plant is ceremonially married to “Shaligram” signifying the return of Lord Vishnu to Vaikuntha after his four-month rest from the kingdom of Bali.
An important ritual in the ceremony is when the ‘Antarpat’ (a white cloth) is held between the groom (Vishnu) and bride (Tulsi), with the priest reciting the Mangal Ashtakas. These mantras formally complete the wedding. Rice mixed with vermilion is showered by the attendees on the Tulsi and on Vishnu at the end of the recitation of the mantras with the word ‘Savadhan’ (literally ‘be careful’ implying ‘You are united now’).
