Household practice across North and West India · Saturday, 21 November 2026
Tulsi Vivah, step by step
How to read the Roman letters
ā, ī, ū are long vowels (as in father, machine, rule). ṛ sounds like ri. ś and ṣ are both close to sh. c is ch as in church; ch is the aspirated chh. ṃ is a nasal m; ḥ is a soft echo of the vowel before it. ṭ, ḍ, ṇ are said with the tongue curled back.
Prepare the mandap
Clean the courtyard or puja place. Build a small mandap over the Tulsi plant with sugarcane stalks and decorate it with flowers.
Families who are more formal add a torana and a small havan; this companion keeps to the simple household form.
Our family’s way
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Adorn Tulsi as the bride
Apply haldi, kumkum and sandal paste to the pot, drape the red chunri over Tulsi and adorn her with bangles, bindi and flowers.
Many families offer the full set of a bride’s adornments (solah shringar).
Our family’s way
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Bring the groom
Bring the Shaligram, or the image of Vishnu or Krishna, to the mandap with music and bells, and seat him beside Tulsi.
Remember Vishnu with the meditation verse and offer akshat and flowers to both.
Remembering Vishnu · Śāntākāram
शान्ताकारं भुजगशयनं पद्मनाभं सुरेशं
विश्वाधारं गगनसदृशं मेघवर्णं शुभाङ्गम्।
लक्ष्मीकान्तं कमलनयनं योगिभिर्ध्यानगम्यं
वन्दे विष्णुं भवभयहरं सर्वलोकैकनाथम्॥
śāntākāraṃ bhujagaśayanaṃ padmanābhaṃ sureśaṃ
viśvādhāraṃ gaganasadṛśaṃ meghavarṇaṃ śubhāṅgam|
lakṣmīkāntaṃ kamalanayanaṃ yogibhirdhyānagamyaṃ
vande viṣṇuṃ bhavabhayaharaṃ sarvalokaikanātham||
I bow to Vishnu: serene in form, resting on the serpent, with a lotus at his navel, lord of the gods; support of the universe, vast as the sky, dark as a rain cloud, of auspicious form; beloved of Lakshmi, lotus-eyed, reached by yogis in meditation; who takes away the fear of worldly life, the one lord of all the worlds.
मैं विष्णु को प्रणाम करता/करती हूँ: जो शान्त-स्वरूप हैं, शेषनाग की शय्या पर विराजमान हैं, जिनकी नाभि में कमल है, जो देवताओं के स्वामी हैं; जो विश्व के आधार, आकाश के समान व्यापक, मेघ के समान श्याम-वर्ण और शुभ अंगों वाले हैं; जो लक्ष्मी के प्रिय, कमल-नयन और योगियों को ध्यान से प्राप्त होने वाले हैं; जो संसार के भय को हरते हैं और सब लोकों के एकमात्र स्वामी हैं।
शान्ताकारं … सर्वलोकैकनाथम् is the reading of shlokam, sanskritdocuments and Drik. In the third line, another reading (sanskritdocuments notes it in brackets; shlokam’s Vishnu Sahasranama has it) is योगिहृद्ध्यानगम्यं, “reached in meditation in the hearts of yogis”.
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Kanyadan
At dusk, the family on the bride’s side gives Tulsi in marriage to Vishnu, as parents give a daughter, with akshat, flowers and water.
In the Sanskrit vidhi the giving is declared three times; families who have a priest follow the formal words.
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Circle the bride (parikrama)
Carrying the Shaligram, the host goes around the Tulsi plant, or the havan fire if there is one, while the hostess carries or accompanies Tulsi, as your family does.
The number of rounds and who carries what differ between families.
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Aarti and prasad
Sing the Tulsi aarti, offer sweets and fruit, and share the prasad and the wedding meal with everyone.
Many families also sing Om Jai Jagdish Hare for Vishnu.
Tulsi aarti · Jai Jai Tulsi Mata
जय जय तुलसी माता, मैया जय तुलसी माता।
सब जग की सुख दाता, सबकी वर माता॥
Jai jai Tulsi mata, maiya jai Tulsi mata.
Sab jag ki sukh data, sabki var mata.
Victory, victory to Mother Tulsi! Giver of happiness to the whole world, the boon-giving mother of all.
जय हो, जय हो तुलसी माता! सारे जगत को सुख देने वाली, सबको वर देने वाली माता।
Drik reads सबकी सुखदाता वर माता; Webdunia reads सब जग की सुख दाता, वर दाता.
सब योगों के ऊपर, सब रोगों के ऊपर।
रुज से रक्षा करके, भव त्राता॥
Sab yogon ke upar, sab rogon ke upar.
Ruj se raksha karke, bhav trata.
Above all yogas, above all illnesses: you protect from disease and carry us across the ocean of worldly life.
आप सब योगों से ऊपर और सब रोगों से ऊपर हैं; रोग से रक्षा करके संसार-सागर से पार उतारती हैं।
रुज means disease. BhaktiBharat reads सब योगों से ऊपर … रज से रक्ष करके, सबकी भव त्राता.
बटु पुत्री है श्यामा, सूर बल्ली है ग्राम्या।
विष्णु प्रिय जो तुमको सेवे, सो नर तर जाता॥
Batu putri hai shyama, sur balli hai gramya.
Vishnu priya jo tumko seve, so nar tar jata.
The first line calls you by names whose sense is uncertain (see note). Whoever serves you, beloved of Vishnu, crosses over the ocean of worldly life.
पहली पंक्ति में आपके ऐसे नाम हैं जिनका अर्थ अनिश्चित है (टिप्पणी देखें)। हे विष्णुप्रिया, जो आपकी सेवा करता है, वह भवसागर से पार हो जाता है।
The first line is obscure and the copies differ (Drik: बहु पुत्री … सूर वल्ली; Webdunia: बटु पुत्री हे श्यामा, सुर बल्ली हे ग्राम्या), so it is left untranslated rather than guessed. श्यामा is a name of the dark Tulsi.
हरि के शीश विराजत, त्रिभुवन से हो वन्दित।
पतित जनों की तारिणि, तुम हो विख्याता॥
Hari ke shish virajat, tribhuvan se ho vandit.
Patit janon ki tarini, tum ho vikhyata.
You rest on Hari’s head and are honoured by the three worlds; you are renowned as the one who saves the fallen.
आप हरि के शीश पर विराजती हैं और तीनों लोकों में वन्दित हैं; आप पतितों को तारने वाली के रूप में विख्यात हैं।
लेकर जन्म विजन में, आई दिव्य भवन में।
मानव लोक तुम्हीं से, सुख सम्पति पाता॥
Lekar janm vijan mein, aai divya bhavan mein.
Manav lok tumhin se, sukh sampati pata.
Born in a lonely, wild place, you came to a divine home; the world of people receives happiness and prosperity from you alone.
निर्जन स्थान में जन्म लेकर आप दिव्य भवन में आईं; मनुष्य-लोक आपसे ही सुख-सम्पत्ति पाता है।
Drik spells it बिजन; विजन means a lonely, uninhabited place.
हरि को तुम अति प्यारी, श्याम वर्ण सुकुमारी।
प्रेम अजब है उनका, तुमसे कैसा नाता॥
Hari ko tum ati pyari, shyam varn sukumari.
Prem ajab hai unka, tumse kaisa nata.
You are very dear to Hari, dark-hued and tender; wondrous is his love, and what a bond he has with you!
आप हरि को अत्यन्त प्रिय हैं, श्याम-वर्ण और सुकुमार; उनका प्रेम अद्भुत है, आपसे उनका कैसा नाता है!
Drik reads प्रेम अजब है श्री हरि का तुम से नाता. BhaktiBharat adds two more lines found in no other copy, so they are left out.
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May the season of weddings and new beginnings bless your home.
If something here differs from your family's practice, follow your family.