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How To Worship Tulsi In Kartik Month Hinduism - A Comprehensive Guide

Comprehensive Guide to Worshipping Tulsi in Kartik Month - Hinduism

Tulsi (holy basil) is revered in Hinduism, especially during the auspicious month of Kartik, which is dedicated to Lord Vishnu and Goddess Lakshmi. Worshipping Tulsi in Kartik is believed to bring prosperity, happiness, and spiritual upliftment. This guide explains how to worship Tulsi, along with key rituals, prayers, and eco-friendly practices to follow.


1. Cleanliness and Preparation

Maintaining cleanliness and purity is fundamental when performing any puja (ritual). Before starting:

  • Clean the Tulsi plant: Ensure the area around the Tulsi plant is clean. You can gently wash the Tulsi leaves with water.
  • Personal cleanliness: Take a bath before performing the puja. Wear clean, freshly laundered clothes.
  • Avoid synthetic materials: Use eco-friendly and traditional products during the puja.

2. Best Time for Tulsi Puja

  • Morning or Evening: Ideally, Tulsi puja should be performed during the early morning after sunrise or in the evening during sunset.
  • Kartik Ekadashi (Devutthana Ekadashi): This is a highly auspicious day to worship Tulsi, as it marks the symbolic marriage of Tulsi to Lord Vishnu (also known as Tulsi Vivah).

3. What to Wear

  • Preferred colors: White, yellow, or light-colored clothes are considered auspicious and symbolize purity.
  • Avoid dark colors: Red or black are traditionally avoided for such worship rituals.

4. Puja Items Required (Eco-friendly Options)

  • Tulsi Plant: The primary deity of this puja.
  • Earthen Diya (lamp): Lit with ghee or oil (preferably sesame or coconut oil). Avoid plastic or non-biodegradable lamps.
  • Cotton wicks: For lighting the diya.
  • Eco-friendly incense sticks (Agarbatti): Made from natural ingredients like sandalwood or herbs.
  • Chandan (sandalwood paste): Use natural sandalwood paste for applying tilak.
  • Kumkum (vermillion): Natural kumkum for offering to Tulsi.
  • Flowers: Organic, non-dyed flowers like marigolds or lotus for offering. Avoid artificial or plastic flowers.
  • Akshat (unbroken rice mixed with turmeric): Used during the offering process.
  • Water in a copper or earthen kalash: Use water to sprinkle over the Tulsi plant.
  • Eco-friendly garland (optional): Made from fresh flowers.
  • Fruits or fresh leaves: To offer during the puja. You can use fresh fruits like bananas or apples.
  • Camphor: For aarti (natural camphor is preferable).
  • Simple prasad: Homemade, natural, and vegetarian items for offering (explained in section 8).

5. Simple Steps for Tulsi Puja

  1. Purify yourself and the surroundings: Start by sprinkling water over yourself and the Tulsi plant.
  2. Light the diya: Place the earthen diya near the Tulsi plant and light it with a cotton wick and ghee.
  3. Offer Chandan, Kumkum, and Akshat: Apply chandan and kumkum to the Tulsi plant pot, then sprinkle Akshat over the plant as a mark of respect.
  4. Offer flowers and garland: Place fresh, organic flowers or garlands made from flowers at the base of the Tulsi plant.
  5. Circumambulation: Walk around the Tulsi plant at least three or five times, chanting prayers or mantras dedicated to Tulsi and Vishnu.
  6. Perform Aarti: Light the camphor, wave it in circular motions in front of Tulsi, and sing the Tulsi aarti or other prayers (explained below).

6. Mantras and Prayers for Tulsi Puja

  • Tulsi Gayatri Mantra:
    “Om Vrindayai Cha Vidmahe, Tulsi Patrayai Dheemahi, Tanno: Tulsi Prachodayat”

  • Tulsi Stotra:
    "Vrindavani Vrinda Vishwapoojita, Pushpasara Nandini Cha Tulasi Krishnajivani"

  • Vishnu Mantra (to be chanted during the Kartik month):
    “Om Namo Bhagavate Vasudevaya”


7. How to Conclude the Puja

  • Pray for well-being: After offering flowers, akshat, and prasad, sit in front of the Tulsi plant and chant the Vishnu or Tulsi mantras. Pray for peace, health, and prosperity for your family.
  • Offer Prasad: Distribute the prasad among family members or neighbors after the puja is completed.
  • Perform final aarti: End with a Tulsi Aarti, a devotional song sung in praise of the sacred plant.

8. Prasad to be Prepared

  • Simple, eco-friendly offerings: You can prepare sattvic (pure) dishes such as:
    • Panchamrit: A mixture of milk, yogurt, honey, ghee, and sugar.
    • Sweets made from jaggery: Ladoo or kheer made from jaggery and rice.
    • Fruits: Fresh fruits like bananas, coconut, or apples can also be offered.

9. Importance and Benefits of Worshipping Tulsi in Kartik Month

  • Spiritual significance: Tulsi is considered the earthly manifestation of the goddess Lakshmi, and she is also a symbol of purity and spiritual healing.
  • Attracts blessings from Vishnu: Worshipping Tulsi during the Kartik month pleases Lord Vishnu, bringing wealth and spiritual prosperity.
  • Environmental benefits: Tulsi has immense medicinal value and purifies the air. Worshipping and nurturing the plant also connects you to nature.
  • Spiritual growth: Performing the Tulsi puja with devotion brings inner peace, removes negative energies, and promotes personal growth.

10. What to Do with the Leftover Puja Items (Eco-friendly Approach)

  • Flowers and leaves: Offer them to the roots of the Tulsi plant or compost them. Avoid throwing them into water bodies or non-biodegradable waste.
  • Water from the puja: Use it to water the Tulsi plant or other household plants.
  • Food items: Share the prasad with family or neighbors. Leftover prasad can also be offered to birds or animals.
  • Camphor and diya remnants: Let the camphor burn out completely, and use the ashes from the diya in your garden as it is biodegradable.


Performing Tulsi puja during the holy month of Kartik is a way to show devotion to Goddess Tulsi and Lord Vishnu. The rituals are simple but deeply meaningful. By using eco-friendly products and adhering to traditions, you not only respect the environment but also receive spiritual benefits such as inner peace, material prosperity, and divine blessings.

This worship also reinforces the connection between nature and spirituality, making it a holistic ritual in every sense.