Tulsi / Holy Basil (Ocimum sanctum)

Basil leaves (Tulsi) are the most sacred leaves in the Hindu religion because they are believed to have the strongest healing properties. Tulsi has a sweet clove like fragrance and is referenced in medical treatises written as far back as the 2nd century BC. In India, Tulsi plants are believed to provide an intimate link between the household and spiritual worlds and are found in nearly every residence, where they are watered daily with water and milk. Prayer beads are often made of Tulsi.

Tulsi, also known as Holy Basil, is bound to Jupiter and Fire. It is an herb thought to offer protection, purification, love, wealth and prosperity. The Italians have believed for years that Tulsi is the herb of love. It is said that if a woman puts a pot of Tulsi outside her room, she is ready to receive her suitor.

It is said that if you want to prosper in business, place Tulsi near the doorway to the office or in the cash register and business will come to you.

For protection and purification of home and family, place Tulsi in all four corners of the house, and replace every month or so.

Closely related to culinary basil, Tulsi is an important sacred plant in Hinduism.

Tulsi originates in the tropical parts of South Asia, but its distribution has been expanded to many tropical regions of the world. It is a highly sacred plant in the Hindu religion where it is dedicated to Vishnu. It has a sweet clove-like fragrance.

Tulsi is native to the tropical Asia but has been dispersed so that it now grows in many tropical parts of the world. It is a sacred plant in Hindu religion, and has been cultivated in India in courtyards, temples and homes, for about 3,000 years.

The history of the plant in South Asia is closely linked with tradition. It represents Vishnupriya or Beloved of Vishnu, since it is believed to be the embodiment of the goddess Lakshmi, the spouse of Vishnu. What is apparent is that it has been valued and cultivated since ancient times in India as an intimate link between the household and the spiritual world.

The Aryans, who structured the forms of Hinduism, were nature-worshippers and their poetry and imagery were rich with the evocation of nature. They were drawn to Tulsi because of its fragrance and delicacy. It may also have been already well-entrenched in the myths of the indigenous people and from there absorbed into Hinduism.

Tulsi is mentioned in the Rig Veda, written in about 1500 BC., and its holiness is celebrated in the Puranas. It is highly regarded in the Ayurvedic system of medicine and is noted in medical treatises such as the Charaka Samhita written between the second century BC to the second century AD.