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#Krishna_Tulsi (#purple_leaf_tulsi)
The Queen of the Herbs, Ocimum tenuiflorum (synonym Ocimum sanctum), commonly known as holy basil or tulsi, is an aromatic perennial plant in the family Lamiaceae. It is native to the Indian subcontinent and widespread as a cultivated plant throughout the Southeast Asian tropics. The tulsi plant, මදුරුතලා, (Ocimum sanctum or Ocimum tenuiflorum) is a member of the mint family closely related to culinary basil (Ocimum basilicum), but it is differentiated by its medicinal properties and some physical characteristics. It's been harvested for use in Ayurvedic treatments for 5,000 years and has a strong aroma and a flavor that can range from peppery to astringent. It's often combined with black, green, or white tea leaves or in an herbal blend with other health-promoting ingredients such as turmeric and ginger.
There are three main types of tulsi plants:
01. Rama Tulsi (also known as green leaf tulsi): A green tulsi with light purple flowers and an aromatic, clovelike scent (thanks to its chemical component of eugenol, which is the main aroma in cloves) and mellower flavor.
02. Krishna Tulsi (also known as Shyama Tulsi or purple leaf tulsi): A purple plant with a clovelike aroma and peppery flavor.
03. Vana Tulsi (or wild leaf tulsi): A bright, light green tulsi plant that grows wild and is indigenous to many areas of Asia; it has a more lemony aroma and flavor.
Of the three types of tulsi, Krishna tulsi is often considered to be the most beneficial to health, followed closely by Rama tulsi. Vana tulsi has less potency, but it is sometimes blended with other types of tulsi for a more pleasing flavor. Tulsi, an Ayurvedic herb widely used in therapeutic herbal tea/tisane and true tea blends, may be called tulasi, holy basil, "The Incomparable One," "Elixir of Life," or "Queen of the Herbs." Native to India and cultivated throughout Southeast Asia, it's considered a foundational herb that, combined with other adaptogenic herbs, can help the body withstand many forms of stress.
Tulsi is a sacred plant for Hindus and is worshipped as the avatar of Lakshmi. Tulsi leaves are part of the worship of Vishnu and his avatars and some other deities, including Krishna and Rama, and other male Vaishnava deities, such as Hanuman and some brahmanas. Traditionally, tulsi is planted in the center of the central courtyard of Hindu houses or may be grown next to Hanuman temples. The ritual lighting of lamps each evening during Kartik includes the worship of the tulsi plant, which is held to be auspicious for the home. Vaishnavas traditionally use Hindu prayer beads made from tulsi stems or roots, which are an important symbol of initiation. They have such a strong association with Vaishnavas, that followers of Vishnu are known as "those who bear the tulsi round the neck". Tulsi is cultivated for religious and traditional medicine purposes, and also for its essential oil. It is widely used as a herbal tea, commonly used in Ayurveda, and has a place within the Vaishnava tradition of Hinduism, in which devotees perform worship involving holy basil plants or leaves.
Tulsi Vivah is a ceremonial festival performed anytime between Prabodhini Ekadashi (the 11th or 12th lunar day of the bright fortnight of the Hindu month of Kartik) and Kartik Poornima (the full moon of the month). The day varies regionally.
Holy basil is an erect, many-branched subshrub, 30–60 cm (12–24 in) tall with hairy stems. Leaves are green or purple; they are simple, petioled, with an ovate blade up to 5 cm (2 in) long, which usually has a slightly toothed margin; they are strongly scented and have a decussate phyllotaxy. The purplish flowers are placed in close whorls on elongated racemes.
The three main morphotypes cultivated in India and Nepal are Ram tulsi (the most common type, with broad bright green leaves that are slightly sweet), the less common purplish green-leaved (Krishna tulsi) and the common wild vana tulsi. DNA barcodes of various biogeographical isolates of tulsi from the Indian subcontinent are now available. In a large-scale phylogeographical study of this species conducted using chloroplast genome sequences, a group of researchers from Central University of Punjab, Bathinda, have found that this plant originates from North-Central India.
The variety of Ocimum tenuiflorum used in Cambodian and Thai cuisine is referred to as Thai holy basil; it is not the same as Thai basil or Chi neang vorng, which is a variety of Ocimum basilicum. This basil has now escaped from cultivation and has naturalised into a cosmopolitan distribution. Tulsi has been used for centuries to cure symptoms of various diseases and ailments, but its power as an adaptogen gets the most notice in modern times. Some scientific studies have shown its efficacy as an anti-inflammatory, anxiety treatment, and antioxidant1 , although no large-scale formal research has been undertaken in the United States. [mkrt-QwwobI] |