Tulsi Vivaha

Tulsi Vivah is one of the most important and religious festival , celebrated by devotees of Lord vishnu and Goddess Tulsi. People organise Tulsi Vivah with Shaligram who is regarded as Lord Vishnu. Tulsi Vivah is celebrated on the next day of Dev Uthani Ekadashi or Dwadashi Tithi of Shukla Paksha in the month of Kartika. 

Tulsi Vivah holds a great significance among Hindus and it is celebrated with enthusiasm and fervor.  Temples are decorated with lights and flowers and Bhajan kirtans are organised, conduct marriage ceremony of Goddess Tulsi with Lord Shaligram. Some people even organise food stalls (Bhandara) and distribute food, water to all the needy and poor people. It is believed that the couple who are childless and organise Tulsi Vivah through a qualified priest, get blessed with child.People who do nc have girl child, do kanyadaan considered Goddess Tulsi as their daughter.

There is a story behind Tulsi Vivah is that there was a demon who was appeared from the rage of Lord Shiva and he became an enemy of all deities. Later he got married to Vrinda as suggested by Shukracharya (Demon's Guru) because she was a loyal woman and also an ardent devotee of Lord Vishnu. The character or Pativrata Dharma of his wife Vrinda and it became impossible for deities to defeat Jalandhar. She decided to conduct a puja ritual for the well being and longevity of her husband but Lord Vishnu already knew that if she would successfully

perform the Puja then Jalandhar would become immortal and impossible to kill.Then Lord Vishnu appeared in the form of Jalandhar and sat with Vrinda to complete the Puja ritual and Lord Vishnu destroyed her character in that way.When she knew that it was not Jalandhar but Lord Vishnu then she cursed Lord Vishnu to become a stone which is now worshipped as Shaligram. Knowing this Goddess Laxmi went to Vrinda and requested her to take her curse back, Vrinda accepted Goddess Laxmi's request and relieved him from her curse but she ended her own life.

Then, Lord Vishnu bless her that she would become a Tulsi and because of her true devotion towards him, he would marry her in the form of Shaligram and without Tulsi, his puja would be considered incomplete. Since then Tulsi Vivah with Shaligram is celebrated among Hindus throughout the world.