Tulasi puja at home is simple: after your morning bath, pour water at the base of the tulasi in the Tulasi Kota, offer turmeric, kumkuma and flowers, bow and do pradakshina, and light a deepam beside it in the evening. Tulasi is very dear to Lord Vishnu and is regarded as a form of Lakshmi, which is why Telugu tradition considers a home with a Tulasi Kota sacred.
Why is tulasi worshipped?
Tulasi is revered as Vrinda Devi and Vishnupriya. Devotees believe the worship of Vishnu, Krishna or Lord Venkateswara is incomplete without tulasi dalam, and tulasi garlands offered at Tirumala are well known.
Our elders built a Tulasi Kota in the front yard or courtyard and made walking around it morning and evening part of family life. It gives the home a sacred centre, and children naturally learn devotion and respect for nature.
Types of tulasi and where to keep the Tulasi Kota
Two kinds are common in homes: Rama tulasi with green leaves and Krishna (Shyama) tulasi with purple-tinged leaves. Both are fit for worship.
- Keep the Kota at the front of the house or the centre of the courtyard where it gets good sunlight; many prefer the east or north.
- In apartments, grow tulasi in a pot on a sunny balcony.
- Leave space around it for pradakshina.
- Keep the area clean, with no footwear or garbage nearby.
Daily tulasi puja, step by step
- Bath: bathe and wear clean clothes.
- Water: pour a small vessel of water at the base. Too much water can rot the roots, so be moderate.
- Decoration: apply turmeric and kumkuma to the Kota and offer flowers; some draw a small muggu in front.
- Deepam and incense: light a ghee or oil lamp if that is your custom in the morning.
- Naivedyam: a piece of jaggery, a fruit or a little milk.
- Pradakshina: go around three times or as many as you can, praying for the family.
- Evening deepam: lighting a lamp at the tulasi at dusk is an important custom.
Reciting tulasi stotrams or the Tulasi Ashtottaram adds merit, but elders say a heartfelt Sri Tulasi Devyai Namaha is enough.
Rules for plucking tulasi leaves
Many families follow some rules when plucking tulasi; they vary by region and tradition:
- Pluck only after bathing, in a clean state.
- Many avoid plucking after sunset.
- Many families do not pluck on Dwadashi, Amavasya, Pournami or Sankranti, and some avoid Sundays too, plucking the day before instead.
- Take leaves or small sprigs (manjari) gently with the fingers, not by nipping with nails.
- Take only what you need; never strip the plant.
- Bow to tulasi before plucking.
A traditional belief holds that tulasi is never nirmalyam, so a used leaf may be washed and offered again. Tulasi is traditionally not used in Vighneswara puja; for other deities, follow family custom.
What should be avoided in tulasi puja?
Elders mention a few cautions, not to create fear but to keep respect for tulasi:
- Do not touch tulasi without bathing or with unwashed hands after eating.
- Do not walk near the Kota in footwear or quarrel beside it.
- Clear dried flowers and old nirmalyam from the Kota daily.
- Do not smother the plant with kumkuma or turmeric; mark the Kota instead so the leaves stay healthy.
- If you travel, ask a neighbour or relative to water the plant.
In Karthika, lighting an evening deepam at the Tulasi Kota is a near-universal Telugu custom, and elders say continuing it all year brings a calm atmosphere to the home.
Tulasi Kalyanam and Ksheerabdi Dwadashi
Tulasi worship is especially important in Karthika. In Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, Karthika Shukla Dwadashi is Ksheerabdi Dwadashi. In the evening an usiri (amla) branch is placed at the Tulasi Kota, and tulasi as Lakshmi and usiri as Vishnu are worshipped like a wedding, with many lamps and pradakshinas.
In North India and some other regions, Tulasi Vivah is held on Karthika Shukla Ekadashi (Prabodhini Ekadashi) or Dwadashi. Methods differ, but the spirit is the same: honouring tulasi as a goddess and celebrating her union with the Lord.
Caring for the plant is part of the puja
| Situation | What to do |
|---|---|
| Summer | Water in the morning or evening; shield from harsh noon sun |
| Monsoon | Make sure water does not stagnate in the pot |
| When manjari appear | Use them in puja so the plant grows bushier |
| If the plant dries | Remove it respectfully, return it to the soil and plant a new one |
Key points
- Morning water, turmeric, kumkuma, flowers and pradakshina; evening deepam.
- Rama and Krishna tulasi are both fit for worship.
- Pluck after bathing, in daylight, only as much as needed.
- On Ksheerabdi Dwadashi, tulasi and usiri are worshipped together like a wedding.
- Rules vary by family; ask elders or your purohit when unsure.