The 'tulsi' plant or Indian basil (Ocimum Sanctum)is an important symbol in the Hindu religious tradition. The name 'tulsi' connotes "the incomparable one". Tulsi is a venerated plant and Hindus worship it in the morning and evening. Tulsi grows wild in the tropics and warm regions. Dark or Shyama tulsi and light or Rama tulsi are the two main varieties of basil, the former possessing greater medicinal value. Of the many varieties, the Krishna or Shyama tulsi is commonly used for worship.







Tulsi As A Deity

The presence of tulsi plant symbolizes the religious bent of a Hindu family. A Hindu household is considered incomplete if it doesn't have a tulsi plant in the courtyard. Many families have the tulsi planted in a specially built structure, which has images of deities installed on all four sides, and an alcove for a small earthen oil lamp. Some households can even have up to a dozen tulsi plants on the verandah or in the garden forming a "tulsi-van" or "tulsivrindavan" - a miniature basil forest.

Places that tend to inspire concentration and places ideal for worship, according to the Gandharv Tantra, include "grounds overgrown with tulsi plants". The Tulsi Manas Mandir at Varanasi is one such famous temple, where tulsi is worshipped along with other Hindu gods and goddesses. Vaishnavites or believers of Lord Vishnu worship the tulsi leaf because it's the one that pleases Lord Vishnu the most. They also wear beaded necklaces made of tulsi stems. The manufacture of these tulsi necklaces is a cottage industry in pilgrimages and temple towns.

Tulsi As An Elixir

Apart from its religious significance it is of great medicinal significance, and is a prime herb in Ayurvedic treatment. Marked by its strong aroma and a stringent taste, tusli is a kind of "the elixir of life" as it promotes longevity. The plant's extracts can be used to prevent and cure many illnesses and common ailments like common cold, headaches, stomach disorders, inflammation, heart disease, various forms of poisoning and malaria. Essential oil extracted from karpoora tulsi is mostly used for medicinal purposes though of late it is used in the manufacture of herbal toiletry.

According to Jeevan Kulkarni, author of Historical Truths & Untruths Exposed, when Hindu women worship tulsi, they in effect pray for "less and less carbonic acid and more and more oxygen - a perfect object lesson in sanitation, art and religion". The tulsi plant is even known to purify or de- pollute the atmosphere and also works as a repellent to mosquitoes, flies and other harmful insects. Tulsi used to be a universal remedy in cases of malarial fever.

Prof Shrinivas Tilak, who teaches Religion at Concordia University, Montreal has made this historical citation: In a letter written to The Times, London, dated May 2, 1903 Dr George Birdwood, Professor of Anatomy, Grant Medical College, Bombay said, "When the Victoria Gardens were established in Bombay, the men employed on those works were pestered by mosquitoes. At the recommendation of the Hindu managers, the whole boundary of the gardens was planted with holy basil, on which the plague of mosquitos was at once abated, and fever altogether disappeared from among the resident gardners."

Tulsi In Legends

Quite a few myths and legends found in the Puranas or ancient scriptures point to the origin of importance of tulsi in religious rituals. Although tulsi is regarded as feminine, in no folklore is she described as the consort the Lord. Yet a garland solely made of tulsi leaves is the first offering to the Lord as part of the daily ritual. The plant is accorded the sixth place among the eight objects of worship in the ritual of the consecration of the Kalasha, the container of holy water.

According to one legend, Tulsi was the incarnation of a princess who fell in love with Lord Krishna, and so had a curse laid on her by his consort Radha. Tulsi is also mentioned in the stories of Meera and of Radha immortalised in Jayadev's Gita Govinda. The story of Lord Krishna has it that when Krishna was weighed in gold, not even all the ornaments of Satyabhama could outweigh him. But a single tulsi leaf placed by Rukmani on the pan tilted the scale.

In the Hindu mythology, tulsi is very dear to Lord Vishnu. Tulsi is ceremonially married to Lord Vishnu annually on the 11th bright day of the month of Karttika in the lunar calendar. This festival continues for five days and concludes on the full moon day, which falls in mid October. This ritual, called the 'Tulsi Vivaha' inaugurates the annual marriage season in India.

Tulsi or basil is a herbal remedy for a lot of common ailments. Here's a list of some medicinal uses of tulsi, from Healthlibrary:

• The juice of tulsi leaves can be used to bring down fever. Extract of tulsi leaves in fresh water should be given every 2 to 3 hours. In between one can keep giving sips of cold water. In children, it is every effective in bringing down the temperature.
• Tulsi is an important constituent of many Ayurvedic cough syrups and expectorants. It helps to mobilise mucus in bronchitis and asthma. Chewing tulsi leaves relieves cold and flu.
• For earache a few drops of tulsi extract, if instilled, relieves the symptoms promptly.
• The juice of fresh leaves, flower tops and slender roots is a very god antidote for snake and scorpion bite.
• Its oil is rich in vitamin C, carotene, calcium and phosphorus. Besides, it has antibacterial, antifungal and antiviral properties.
• Ayurvedic tulsi preparations have significantly reduced the symptoms of viral hepatitis.
• In diabetics it helps in lowering the blood sugar level.
• Its anti-spasmodic property can be utilised to relieve abdominal colics. The extracts are also helpful in digestive disorders.
• Tulsi leaves have properties similar to the currently available anti-TB drugs like Streptomycin and Isoniazide.
• Oil of tulsi has been used as a potent anti-malarial drug.
• It also has mosquito repellent properties.
• It raises the human body immunity by increasing the antibody production.
• Experimental studies on animals have shown anti-stress activity with tulsi extract. <><. <>/li>/li
• Tulsi has anti-fertility effect by reducing the estrogen hormone levels in females and decreasing the sperm count in men.
• It is also used to treat ringworm of the skin.




Extracts of tulsi, neem and turmeric can kill mosquito larvae, according to researchers, who say these can also be used as repellents against adult mosquitoes.



Leaf extracts of the plants `leucas aspera' and `ocimum sanctum' or tulsi have been found to be highly toxic to mosquito larvae and have a deterrent effect against the adult mosquito anopheles stephensi which spreads malaria.The tulsi extracts are also easy to handle, inexpensive and safe natural products for mosquito control, researchers from the Bharathiar University in Coimbatore say.



Writing in the journal Current Science, K Murugan and D Jeyabalan report that extracts of tulsi, wheat (triticum aestivum) and neem (azadirachta indica) can be used to disinfect water containing larvae. The scientists screened the effects of extracts of leucas aspera, ocimum sanctum, azadirachta indica, allium sativum, and curcuma longa (turmeric) on various stages of mosquito growth larvae, pupa and adults at concentrations varying from 1.0 to4.0 per cent. The anopheles stephensi breeds in wells, overhead or ground-level water tanks, cisterns, coolers, roof gutters and artificial containers.



It is found to be responsible for almost half of the annual malaria cases and transmits the disease in the plains of rural and urban India.The extracts of tulsi, wheat and neem can also be used for disinfecting water, it says, adding tulsi leaf extracts can be used in water tanks. to suppress anopheles stephensi.



The team found that leaf extracts of leucas aspera, tulsi and neem, as well as the pulp of allium sativum and rhizome of turmeric, killed mosquito larvae. Of these, leaf extracts of leucas and ocimum were the most effective.At four per cent concentration, leucas extract killed 90 per cent of the larvae, while tulsi or ocimum killed 84 per cent of the larvae.

The extracts also inhibited egg-laying by female mosquitoes, leading to fewer larvae. Extracts of all five plants are potential repellents against anopheles stephensi, the report in CurrentScience say

Medicinal Value of Tulsi



Since the ages elders have always worshipped the Tulsi plant. Special containers are made to keep this holy plant. On a certain day after Diwali people perform Tulsi Pooja. According to Ayurveda, plants have been found to have several medicinal properties. This leaves, seeds and roots of the Tulsi plants are used a variety of disease.



The juice of Tulsi leaves can be used to bring down fever. Extract of tulsi leaves in fresh water should be given every 2 to 3 hours. In between one can keep giving sips of cold water. In children, it is every effective in bringing down the temperature.



• It is an important constituent of many Ayurvedic cough syrups and expectorants. It helps to mobilise mucus in bronchitis and asthma.
• Chewing tulsi leaves relieves cold and flu.
• For earache a few drops of tulsi extract, if instilled, relieves the symptoms promptly. The extracts are also helpful in digestive disorders.
• The juice of fresh leaves, flower tops and slender roots is a very god antidote for snake and scorpion bite.
• Its oil is rich in vitamin C, carotene, calcium and phosphorus. Besides, it has antibacterial, antifungal and antiviral properties. Ayurvedic tulsi preparations have significantly reduced the symptoms of viral hepatitis.
• In diabetics it helps in lowering the blood sugar level.
• Its anti-spasmodic property can be utilised to relieve abdominal colics.
• In olden days tulsi leaves were used to treat tuberculosis (TB). It has an action similar to the currently available anti-TB drugs like Streptomycin and Isoniazide. However, tulsi leaves alone are not adequate but should be used as supplement to these drugs.
• Oil of tulsi has been used as a potent anti-malarial drug. It also has mosquito repellent properties.
• It raises the human body immunity by increasing the antibody production.
• Tulsi has anti-fertility effect by reducing the estrogen hormone levels in females and decreasing the sperm count in men.
• It is also used to treat ringworm of the skin.



The tulsi plant has rightly been given a sacred position in our mythology. It is amazing that inspite of tulsi having such a big list of benefits, not many of us were aware of it. A lot of people have been enjoying their tea with the addition of tulsi leaves while suffering from cold. Similarly tulsi leaves can be put to many more uses.

Constipation Alternating with Diarrhoea



If you are over the age of 40-50 and you get constipation alternating with diarrhoea, you must get yourself investigated properly rather than take treatment on your own. There may be some serious problem like a cancer of the large intestine.



Tulsi grows wild in all warm regions in general but do not grow well in cold regions. Dark Tulsi or "shyama" and light Tulsi or "Rama" are the two main groups of varieties, but the darker varieties are said to possess greater medicinal value.







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