Tulasi vivah or lagna is performed in the evening at godhuli muhurta, i.e, the time when cows return in the evening after grazing. Tulasi plant is married to shaligrama. The wedding is conducted as any Hindu wedding, with the priest presiding over it and in some households, with band that usually play during wedding.
To begin with, tulasi-katti has to be cleaned and decorated. Many whitewash their tulasi-katti or paint it. Sugarcane sticks are placed at four corners of tulasi-katti and their ends tied at the top such that the knot is at the center of tulasi plant. It is purely for decoration and no significance attached to it. Amla branches are stuck in tulasi plant. The tulasi plant, is decorated like a bride with ornaments like necklace and bangles. Then haldi, kumkum is applied. Elaborate rangollis are drawn in front of tulasi-katti and oil clay lamps are lighted around tulasi-katti and in front of it. A small rangolli is drawn on the right side of tulasi-katti and offerings in the form of fruits and laddus(my mom prepares delicious besan and ground-nuts laddus) are placed on it. The tulasi-katti should have a shaligrama in it as it is with shaligrama that tulasi vivah is performed. Some also place a Krishna photo behind tulasi-katti. Once the decoration is complete, all the rituals of the wedding are performed, either by a pries or by a male member of a family. Arti, by various women folk of household is done at the end. This arti is unique. The ghee dipped wicks are placed on 15 gooseberries and arti done.
tulasi lagna 2009 - Bangalore
tulasi lagna 2009 - Bangalore
I remember, before my marriage,by the time I returned home from college and later from work, my parents would have completed all the decorations for tulasi wedding. It would be such an awesome welcoming sight. I would quickly get dressed and we all would wait for the priest to arrive.
Now contrast the above with how I now celebrate tulasi lagna in US. I miss all the grandeur associated with each festval 😦
The procedure of the wedding is detailed in Uttaradi matha panchanga as below :
The various shlokas to be recited during the wedding is not clear here. Click on the above image. It will take you to Uttaradi matha panchanga, which is in pdf format. Scroll to the 13th page of the PDF and Scroll to the end of 13th page. The tulasi vivah procedure is given against Uttana Dwadashi paragraph.
The wedding celebration is then followed by a quintessential sumptuous dinner, complete with chutney of any kind, palya, koosambri, pickle, gojju, payasa, saaru, huli, chitraanna, holige(obaattu), hapla, sandige and anna-majjige.
Tulasi lagna 2010 - habbada oota
Samuel Johnson has rightly said, “A man seldom thinks with more earnestness of anything than he does of his dinner”. I for one have no qualms about admitting this is true of me, if it is habbada oota 🙂
Divine Melodies of Life 