Varanasi/Allahabad, Nov 9 : Hindu devotees took a holy dip in the river Ganges at Varanasi and Allahabad in Uttar Pradesh to mark the onset of the auspicious marriage season on Sunday.

Hindus believe that by taking a holy dip on the occasion of ''Devotthan Ekadashi'' (11th day of lunar fortnight of Kartika month in Hindu calendar) makes their married lives hassle free and for those intending to get married, the marriage would get solemnized without any difficulties.

As per the legend Hindu God Vishnu wakes up from his six months sleep on this day and it is believed that with this an auspicious period heralds.

Ram Bharat Pandey, a priest in holy city of Varanasi said that devotees mark the beginning of the auspicious marriage season by symbolically marrying Tulsi (Medicinal Herb Basil) with Saligram ji (a symbolic form of Hindu God Shiva) as per the Hindu rituals.

"From today the auspicious time for performing marriages and tonsuring starts. First of all the devotees bathe in the holy river Ganges and after that they perform Tulsi''s mock marriage and all this makes the day important," said Pandey.

Devotees like sixty-year-old Shobha Malviya hoped that by having a holy dip on this day would bring marital bliss.

"According to a legend Tulsi had a special feelings for Saligram ji and the two got married. After taking bath in river Yamuna, we symbolically get Tulsi married of to Saligram ji, so that we could be as fortunate as they were," said Shobha.

In India there is no greater event in a family than a wedding.

Often arranged with Byzantine complexity, they best display the almost reason-defying permutations and combinations of the Indian social system defining everything from redistribution of wealth to building and restructuring social alignments. (ANI)