Festivals · 2026
Tulsi Vivah 2026: Date and Ceremony
Also called Tulasi Pooja or Tulsi Vivah Puja.
The short answer
Tulsi Vivah 2026 falls on Saturday, 21 November 2026, on Kartika Shukla Dwadashi — the day after Dev Uthani Ekadashi. It is the ceremonial marriage of the tulsi plant to Shaligram (Vishnu), and is traditionally the first wedding of the season, performed before household marriages begin.
The ceremony is kept as a full wedding in miniature: the tulsi is dressed as a bride, a mandap is raised around the plant, and the rites are performed in the evening.
Because it follows immediately after Chaturmas ends, Tulsi Vivah functions as the formal opening of the marriage season — and 21 November is itself an auspicious wedding date in 2026.
Tulsi Vivah 2026 timings (New Delhi, IST)
| Event | Date and time |
|---|---|
| Kartika Shukla Ekadashi begins | Fri 20 Nov, 7:17 AM |
| Ekadashi ends / Dwadashi begins | Sat 21 Nov, 6:33 AM |
| Sunset on Tulsi Vivah day | Sat 21 Nov, about 5:25 PM |
| Dwadashi ends | Sun 22 Nov, 4:58 AM |
| Kartik Purnima (last day of the Tulsi Vivah window) | Tue 24 Nov |
The ceremony is done in the evening, after sunset, while Dwadashi is running. On 21 November Dwadashi lasts all evening and night, so there is no rush. In 2026 Ekadashi begins just after sunrise on 20 November and ends just before sunrise on 21 November, so it is observed on Friday 20 November.
Ekadashi, Dwadashi or Purnima — which day?
Customs differ. Many families, especially in North India, perform Tulsi Vivah on Dwadashi (21 November in 2026). Others hold it on the evening of Dev Uthani Ekadashi itself (20 November), when Vishnu is woken from his four-month sleep. The rite can be performed on any evening from Ekadashi up to Kartik Purnima (24 November). Follow your family’s custom. If there is none, Dwadashi evening is the most widely kept choice.
How Tulsi Vivah is performed at home
- Prepare the tulsi: clean the pot, decorate it with rangoli, and raise a small mandap of sugarcane stalks over it.
- Dress the bride: drape the tulsi in a red chunri with bangles, bindi and sindoor, as for a bride.
- Place the groom: set a Shaligram stone, or an idol or picture of Vishnu or Krishna, beside the plant.
- Puja: offer water, haldi, kumkum, flowers, a ghee lamp, and seasonal fruit such as amla, sugarcane, water chestnut and sweet potato.
- The wedding: tie the two with a sacred thread, take the Shaligram around the tulsi seven times, and chant the Vishnu or Tulsi mantras, or recite the mangalashtak.
- Close: perform aarti and share the prasad. Many families invite neighbours, as for a real wedding.
Why the tulsi is married to Vishnu
In the Puranic story, the devout Vrinda, wife of the asura Jalandhar, was blessed by Vishnu to return as the tulsi plant, and he promised to marry her in his Shaligram form. Tulsi is therefore worshipped as a form of Lakshmi, and no Vishnu puja is complete without her leaves. The marriage on Kartika Shukla Dwadashi marks the end of Chaturmas and the reopening of the Hindu wedding season.
The wedding season after Tulsi Vivah
With Vishnu awake and Tulsi Vivah done, household weddings resume. For a marriage date that suits your charts, see the 2026 muhurat calendar or use the muhurat finder, then check compatibility with free kundli matching.
Timings follow the New Delhi panchang. Tithi-based dates can shift by a day for other cities and for readers abroad — check your own city’s panchang.
Frequently asked questions
When is Tulsi Vivah in 2026?
Tulsi Vivah 2026 falls on Saturday, 21 November 2026, on Kartika Shukla Dwadashi, the day after Dev Uthani Ekadashi.
Why is Tulsi Vivah performed before household weddings?
It is traditionally treated as the first marriage of the season, performed once Chaturmas ends, before family weddings are held.
What time should Tulsi Vivah be done on 21 November 2026?
In the evening after sunset (about 5:25 PM in Delhi). Dwadashi runs until 4:58 AM on 22 November, so the whole evening is available.
Can Tulsi Vivah be done on Dev Uthani Ekadashi?
Yes. Many families perform it on the evening of Dev Uthani Ekadashi (20 November 2026). It can be done on any evening from Ekadashi to Kartik Purnima (24 November); Dwadashi is the most widely kept day.
What is needed for Tulsi Vivah puja?
A tulsi plant, a Shaligram or Vishnu idol, sugarcane for the mandap, a red chunri and bridal items, haldi, kumkum, flowers, a ghee lamp, seasonal fruit (amla, sugarcane, sweet potato) and sweets for prasad.
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Next year: Tulsi Vivah 2027.
Related guidance: Lohri 2027.