The marriage signifies the beginning of the Hindu wedding season and is celebrated on the last day of Diwali every year
Dressed in a traditional outfit on the first day of Diwali, a small boy along with his friends from Harharwala society in Lalbaug visits the flats of all members of a housing society to invite them for his wedding. ‘I request you to join my wedding ceremony in the society compound,’ said 6-year-old Parth Marathe who was happy to marry the Tulsi plant this year.
Tulsi Vivah, a wedding ceremony of the tulsi plant is celebrated on the last day of Diwali every year. Since 15 years, the society located opposite Ganesh Talkies in Lalbaug has been celebrating this festival by following the rituals of a Maharashtrian wedding.
According to the society members, they start preparing for this day a month in advance. The parents come forward to register their child’s name who wishes to marry Tulsi on this day.
Amol Kadam, society member, said: “Every year, on the first day we have this tradition to put up a poster of the invitation card outside the society compound to invite people. On the first day morning, the bridegroom along with his friends goes to every society member’s house with an invitation card to invite them for his wedding. We start decorating the compound and decorate the entrance gate to invite the guest coming from outside.”
The tradition to celebrate this festival along with 90 other families in the society was founded in the year 2000. The earlier generation who started this ritual has made sure to pass all the traditions and rituals to the next generation, the children and teenagers excitingly participate in the event.
Tulsi Vivah or marriage is celebrated to signify the beginning of the Hindu wedding season. People decorate the nearby area of the Tulsi plant. While celebrating the festival, a human face/figure decorated as a bride is attached to the plant and the groom to whom she is getting married is considered to be lord Krishna.
Akshay Pange, who has seen this celebration in the society since his childhood, said: “Like every year, we have a haldi ceremony and next day the wedding takes place. The society members contribute according to their own will and we look for sponsors to overcome the extra expense. Our society’s tradition has also encouraged other societies in the nearby vicinity. We celebrate this festival to keep our Maharashtrian tradition alive.”
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