Tulsi Vivah 2026: Dwadashi falls on Saturday, 21 November; tulsi weddings run from Kartiki Ekadashi to Tripurari Purnima (24 November), then the wedding season begins

With Diwali behind them, households in Maharashtra start preparing for the tulsi wedding. According to Drik Panchang’s calendars for Mumbai and Pune, the main day of Tulsi Vivah this year is Saturday, 21 November. Dwadashi begins before sunrise that day, at 6.31 am, and lasts until 4.56 am on Sunday, 22 November.

In Maharashtra the custom is to hold the tulsi wedding on any one evening between Kartik Shuddha Ekadashi (Kartiki or Prabodhini Ekadashi) and Kartik Purnima, most families choosing Dwadashi. This year that window is 20 to 24 November.

Key dates (2026)

• Prabodhini (Kartiki) Ekadashi: Friday, 20 November. The Ekadashi tithi runs from 7.15 am on 20 November to 6.31 am on 21 November.
• Gauna (second) Ekadashi: Saturday, 21 November, listed separately by Drik Panchang.
• Tulsi Vivah (Dwadashi): Saturday, 21 November. Dwadashi from 6.31 am to 4.56 am on 22 November.
• Kartik (Tripurari) Purnima: Tuesday, 24 November. The Purnima tithi runs from 11.42 pm on 23 November to 8.23 pm on 24 November.
• Tulsi Vivah window: 20 to 24 November.

Why Ekadashi shows on two days

Some calendars mark Ekadashi on two consecutive dates. That is because the Smarta and Bhagwat (Warkari and Vaishnava) traditions use different rules to fix the day. This year Drik Panchang gives the main Ekadashi on 20 November and the Gauna Ekadashi on 21 November. Follow your family’s or sampradaya’s practice when deciding which day to fast.

How the tulsi wedding is done in Maharashtra

• The tulsi vrindavan in the courtyard or balcony is painted with red ochre (geru) and lime, decorated, and often inscribed with the line ‘bor, chinch, awla, Krishnadev sawla’.
• Seasonal fruit such as ber, tamarind, amla and custard apple is placed in the vrindavan.
• The tulsi is given a ceremonial bath with turmeric and oil and dressed in a new cloth.
• A small mandap of sugarcane, or of jowar stalks, is set up over the plant.
• In the evening an antarpat cloth is held between Balkrishna (or a shaligram) and the tulsi while mangalashtak verses are sung; guests shower akshata, and when the cloth is drawn away everyone claps.
• Kanyadaan of the tulsi, mantrapushpa and aarti follow.
• Prasad is typically sugarcane, coconut sweets, fruit and groundnuts.

Wedding muhurat dates (November–December 2026)

Once the tulsi wedding is done, families resume weddings, engagements and other ceremonies. Drik Panchang’s list for Mumbai and Pune shows no marriage muhurat up to 20 November because of Chaturmas. The dates after that are:

• November: 21 (Saturday), 24 (Tuesday), 25 (Wednesday), 26 (Thursday)
• December: 2 (Wednesday), 3 (Thursday), 4 (Friday), 5 (Saturday), 6 (Sunday), 11 (Friday), 12 (Saturday)

The same list marks weddings as prohibited from 16 December because of the solar month. Muhurat dates and timings can differ slightly from one panchang to another; check your own panchang and your family priest before fixing a date.

Getting ready

• With the main day on a Saturday, working families should find it easier to set aside the evening for the ritual.
• Decide whether your household holds the wedding on Ekadashi, Dwadashi or Purnima, and buy the sugarcane, fruit and puja items before that day.
• With no muhurat after 12 December, families planning a November or December wedding should book halls, caterers and travel early.

Sources: Drik Panchang (Tulsi Vivah, Mumbai); Drik Panchang (Tulsi Vivah, Pune); Drik Panchang (Prabodhini Ekadashi); Drik Panchang (Purnima dates 2026); Drik Panchang (marriage muhurat 2026); Marathi Wikipedia (Tulsi Vivah); Free Press Journal Marathi