Tulsi Vivah 2026, Date, Story, Puja Vidhi and the First Wedding Dates

Tulsi Vivah 2026 falls on Saturday, 21 November 2026, as per Drik Panchang for New Delhi. The Dwadashi tithi runs from 6:31 am on 21 November to 4:56 am on 22 November. The same day is the first marriage muhurat of the season, from 6:48 am on 21 November to 12:08 am that night, in Revati nakshatra.

So families who wait for Tulsi Vivah before their own weddings lose nothing this year. The season and the festival begin together.

Tulsi Vivah 2026 Date and Muhurat

Drik Panchang notes that the Padma Purana places Tulsi Vivah on Kartika Shukla Navami, while other texts treat the five days from Prabodhini Ekadashi to Kartika Purnima as especially good for it. So in 2026 families may do it anywhere from 20 to 24 November, and most choose the Dwadashi, 21 November.

The Story of Tulsi and Shaligram

Tulsi is worshipped as the goddess Vrinda. In the story told in the Vrat Katha, Vrinda was the wife of the demon king Jalandhar, and her chastity made him so powerful that even the gods could not defeat him. To protect the world, Vishnu broke her chastity by taking Jalandhar's form, and Jalandhar fell.

Vrinda cursed Vishnu to become a stone, and he became the Shaligram, the black stone from the Gandaki river that is worshipped as Vishnu. She herself became the tulsi plant. Vishnu promised that he would marry her every year, and that no offering to him would be complete without tulsi leaves. Tulsi Vivah is that yearly wedding.

Versions differ from region to region. Some families marry Tulsi to Krishna or to an image of Vishnu instead of the Shaligram.

Why Do Families Wait for Tulsi Vivah?

Tulsi Vivah comes right after Dev Uthani Ekadashi, the day Vishnu is said to wake from his four-month sleep. In most of North and West India, no wedding is held in those four months, called Chaturmas. Once Vishnu is awake, and once he has married Tulsi, the family's own weddings can begin.

In Maharashtra and Gujarat this custom is especially strong. Many Marathi and Gujarati families hold the Tulsi Vivah at home with full wedding rites, and only after that start fixing their own lagna dates. Our Marathi lagna muhurat 2027 and Gujarati lagna muhurat 2027 pages list those dates.

Can Marriage Be Held on Tulsi Vivah Day?

Yes, in 2026. Drik Panchang lists a full marriage muhurat on 21 November 2026, so a wedding on Tulsi Vivah day is possible for families who follow its list. It also falls on a Saturday, which suits guests.

Not every year is like this. In 2027, Tulsi Vivah falls on Thursday 11 November, and Drik Panchang has only a short night window that day, 10:57 pm to 1:42 am in Hyderabad. Families should always check the year's list and not assume.

Simple Tulsi Vivah Puja Vidhi

Drik Panchang describes the full ceremony as a proper wedding. Families do it in many sizes, from a short evening puja at the tulsi pot to a full mandap with guests. This is the outline most homes follow.

1. Fast through the day, or keep a light fast, as per family custom.
2. Clean and decorate the tulsi plant, and set up a small mandap over it with sugarcane sticks, a torana and flowers.
3. Dress Tulsi as a bride, with a red chunri or a small saree, bangles, bindi and sindoor.
4. Place the Shaligram, or an image of Vishnu or Krishna, beside her.
5. Begin with Ganesh puja, then do the Vishnu puja at dusk (godhuli bela).
6. Perform the wedding rites: kanyadaan of Tulsi, the gathbandhan of the two cloths, and the rounds (pheras) around the plant, usually seven.
7. Offer sweets, fruits and sugarcane, sing the wedding songs, and do aarti.
8. Distribute prasad. Many families feed Brahmins or give daan the next day.

In many homes, a couple without a daughter takes the part of Tulsi's parents and does her kanyadaan.

First Wedding Dates After Tulsi Vivah 2026

Drik Panchang lists 11 marriage days for New Delhi between Tulsi Vivah and Kharmas:

Kharmas begins with Dhanu Sankranti on 16 December 2026, and the next date is 15 January 2027. So this is a short season of under four weeks. Our Dev Uthani Ekadashi 2026 page has the timings and the parana for the day before.

Tulsi Vivah and the Biodata Season

Tulsi Vivah is also when proposal talks pick up in Marathi and Gujarati families. Families who waited through Chaturmas start sending biodatas and kundlis again.

If yours is not ready, you can make a marriage biodata with rasi, nakshatra and lagna filled in from the birth details, and share it as a PDF or a JPG.