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Friday, 4 February 2022

Cultural Significance of Basil Leaves - Why Tulsi Is So Important?

For thousands of years, holy basil (also known as Tulsi) has been valued for its medical and spiritual properties, dating all the way back to the development of ancient Indian medicine, Ayurveda! This plant is green and leafy, but it's not the same as the basil you'd find in a spice cupboard. Holy basil, unlike regular basil, is native to India and is sold in the United States under the scientific names 'Ocimum sanctum (Black Variety)' and 'Ocimum Americanum (White Variety). This small plant has a bunch of uses, from eating it to burning it to putting it in your tea. Scientific studies have even proven that it can help with stress, worry, and depression.


According to the Vedas, there are several names for the Holy Basil plant (Tulsi), each with its own meaning: 


  • Vaishnavi - belonging to Vishnu

  • Vishnu Vallabha - Lord Vishnu's favorite 

  • Haripriya - Lord Vishnu's favorite 

  • Vishnu Tulsi

  • Shri Tulsi is the green Tulsi - lucky Tulsi

  • Rama Tulsi is a tulsi that has a brighter colour

  • Tulsi, Shyama Tulsi/ Krishna Tulsi, has dark green leaves and purple stems, symbolizing Lord Krishna's dark skin

  • Lakshmi Priya - Avatar of Goddess Lakshmi


Spiritual Benefits Of Holy Basil


1. For protection and prosperity, grow holy basil in your house or kitchen garden


There's a reason this plant is nicknamed holy basil. Holy basil plants are considered to protect your space, provide luck and wealth, and fight off harmful energies in Hinduism. Keep a potted holy basil plant in your home to keep the wonderful energy flowing!


2. Drinking Holy Basil water 


Holy basil water (or tulsi water) can assist to stimulate the digestive tract, manage blood sugar, and even preventing respiratory infections, in addition to reducing stress. 

Add a few tulsi leaves to a small pot of boiling water and steep for a few minutes to prepare tulsi water. You can sweeten it with organic sugar or honey. To enjoy all of the spiritual and health advantages, drink tulsi water first thing in the morning, every day. 

3. Holy Basil can be used to make spiritual bath teas and tonics


Soaking in a warm bath with holy basil leaves will leave you feeling calm and refreshed: first and foremost, you'll enjoy the lovely holy basil smell released by the leaves as they come into contact with the warm water. Second, holy basil is well-known Ayurvedic medicine for balancing the Doshas when used as a bath tonic (Kapha, Vata, and Pitta, as described above). 


To make a holy basil bath, place dried holy basil leaves in a fine mesh bag and place them in the bathtub, or simply drop the leaves directly into the bathwater.


4. Keep the leaf with you at all times


Again, holy basil is regarded as a good luck charm in Hinduism– and you don't have to confine the good fortune to your home! To protect your energies and promote luck and wealth, carry a holy basil leaf with you wherever you go.


Overall, if you like the taste of holy basil (whether the leaves, tea, or both), nothing is stopping you from including this peppery-flavored plant in your diet! Many others, on the other hand, dislike the taste of the plant but prefer the smell when it is burned or used as potpourri. 


This plant has a bunch of purposes, all of which are good for your physical and spiritual well-being. So, if you're looking for a stress-relieving plant that also brings good fortune, holy basil is the herb for you!

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