Tulsi Vivah is considered as a very auspicious ritual in the Hindu wedding tradition, says Anita Iyer.
Tulsi or the Holy Basil is the sacred plant of the Hindus and symbolizes purity. A Hindu house is 
considered incomplete without the Tulsi plant in the courtyard. It is a part of tradition to water the tulsi plant, light up a diya near it and worship it daily. Tulsi leaves are used in temples for worship purposes and also a part of several customs like marriage and funerals. Tulsi is believed to bestow the inhabitants with happiness and promote longevity.
Guruji Nishikant Upadhyay, a pandit says, “The festival of Tulsi Vivah inaugurates the annual marriage season in India as it is considered lucky for the couple. The general belief is that one who performs this wedding ceremony of marrying Tulsi to Vishnu considering her as their own daughter, gets the esteem of having performed Kanyadan, which is regarded as an extremely meritorious act in Hindu religion”. Tulsi Vivah usually occurs on the 11th or 12th day of the Kartik month on the day after of Kartik Ekadashi.
The legend behind celebration of this festival goes back to the incarnation of Goddess Tulsi devi who was born as Vrinda. Tulsi was married to the demon King Jalandhar. Getting married to him, she prayed to Lord Vishnu for longevity of her demon husband. King Jalandhar received a boon that he would be free from death till his wife Vrinda was chaste. It was believed that he was immortal, unless someone broke the ‘pati vrat’ of his wife. Misusing his powers, Jalandhar declared war and becomes a cause of danger to the gods. To avert the menace, Lord Vishnu on the request of the other gods took the form of Jalandhar and stayed with Tulsi thereby breaking the ‘Pati vrat’. After Jalandhar's death, Vrinda cursed Lord Vishnu and turned him to stone (Shaligram) and collapsed on the floor and from her body emerged the tulsi plant. It is a result of this mythological story that Vishnu pooja is considered incomplete without tulsi leaves.
On the day of Tulsi Vivah, a full meal consisting of rice, moongachi gathi, puri , sweet potato kheer , red pumpkin vegetable cooked with pieces of sugarcane, amla and tamarind is offered to Tulsi Vrindavan.
In the evening, tulsi pot is coloured and the plant decorated as a bride. Sugarcane sticks and branches of tamarind and amla are planted alongside the tulsi plant. On the marriage day, a fast is observed and Tulsi vivah ceremony takes place in the late evening. An emblem, either an image of Krishna or generally the Shaligram stone is placed next to Tulsi plant.
The marriage is performed like a normal Hindu wedding by applying Turmeric and Vermilion powder on the plant, chanting of mantras and tying Mangal Sutra around the Tulsi plant. A cloth is held between the 'bridegroom' (Shaligram stone) and the 'bride' (tulsi plant). The cloth is removed after the last mantra of the marriage, ‘Mangal Ashtak’ is chanted and the word ‘Savadhan’ is pronounced and all the people shower ‘Akshat’ on the married couple. After the marriage, Panchamrit (mixture of five dailies - curd, ghee, milk. honey and sugar), and sweets are distributed as prasad among family members and friends.
Interestingly in Goa, the festival takes a different form with sending of Goan Ojhe (sweet) to married daughters from her parental home along with jodi, threads used in oil lamps. This festival of Tulsi Vivah is celebrated in each and every household of Goa with delicious sweets.
Owing to its significance, it is believed that couples getting married on the day of Tulsi Vivah will be together for their next seven lives.
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