Tulsi Vivah At Satsang Center

Tulsi Vivah At Satsang Center

Pankajben Niranjanbhai Patel & Sudhir Parikh
11/17/2016

This year SATASNG Center in Woburn MA celebrated Tulsi Vivah on November 13th. More than 150 people participated with love, enthusiasm and holiness in heart.

It was a day event, which began at 11 am with Ganesh Puja, Mandap Sthapan, Gruhshanti, and Pithi. There was an hour lunch break. Famous, Gujarati, tasty Khitchu was served . The afternoon session began at 2 pm with Dulha, Lord Krishna's arrival at gate with grand procession, followed by wedding ceremony done with all traditional rituals including Garland exchange, Hast Milap, Mangal Fera, SaptaPadi - Seven steps etc. Finally at 4:30 pm, the event concluded with Arati, Ras Garba, and delicious dinner. All the attendees were very happy to get blessings from Lord Krishna & Vrinda. . Main course of Dinner, like Gulab-Jamun, Samosa & Chhole were - prepared by AshokKumar (Punjabi) Family. Mango Lassi was served after the Wedding Procession. Rest of the dinner, traditional Daal, Bhaat, Shaak (Ringana-Bataka & Peas, was prepared by lovely SATSANG Sevaks and Sevikas with lots of Love!

SATSANG Center has been celebrating Tulsi-Vivah for last seventeen years and appreciates all the sponsors and participants of this program. This year, Tulsiji was sponsored by Niru Sudhir Parikh and Lalji , by Diptiben Devendrabhai Patel.

Tulsi Vivah is the ceremonial marriage of the Tulsiji (plant - holy basil) to the Lord Vishnu's Avatar Krishna. This ceremony can be performed any time between Prabodhini Ekadashi - the eleventh lunar day of the bright fortnight of the Hindu month Kartik to the full moon of the month (Kartik Poornima â€“ also known as Dev-Diwali). Usually it is performed on the eleventh or the twelfth lunar day, but in USA on Sat or Sunday between Ekadashi & Purnima. The Tulsi wedding signifies the end of the monsoon and the beginning of the Hindu wedding season.

Rituals

The marriage of Tulsi with Vishnu/Krishna resembles the traditional Hindu wedding. This ceremony is conducted at homes and also in temples. A fast is observed on the Tulsi Vivah day until evening when the ceremony begins. A mandap (marriage booth) is built around the courtyard of the house where the Tulsi plant is planted. The Tulsi plant is usually planted in centre of the courtyard in a brick plaster called Tulsi vrindavana. It is believed that the soul of Vrinda resides in the plant at night and leaves in the morning. The bride Tulsi is clothed with a sari and ornaments including earrings and necklaces. A human paper face with a bindi and nose-ring - may be attached to Tulsi. The groom is a brass image or picture of Vishnu or Krishna or sometimes Balarama or more frequently the Shaligram stone - the symbol of Vishnu. The image is clothed in a dhoti. Both Vishnu and Tulsi are bathed and decorated with flowers and garlands before the wedding. The couple is linked with a cotton thread (mala) in the ceremony.

After the wedding Ceremony, devotees line up to seek their blessings! They also offer KanyaDaan â€“ Monetary Gift to the newly wed couple! Just the way, Krishna & Virinda renew their weddings vows every year, shouldn't we too? May Vrinda & Krishna bless us with what we need for our Spiritual Growth!

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