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Tulsi
Tulsi, also known as Holy Basil, is one of the most sacred plants as per the beliefs of Hindu community. The plant is considered as the mortal symbolization of goddess Tulsi who was wife of Lord Vishnu. It is a must practice to offer the leaves of Tulsi plant to Lord Vishnu whenever any prayers are done. Lord Vishnu is also worshipped in the forms of Lord Krishna and Lord Vithoba.
Hindu families generally have the practice of having a plant of Tulsi grown in or around their house in a special kind of pot or a masonry kind of structure. It is consider most auspicious to grow Tulsi at any centralized location in the house.
The use of sacred Tulsi plant is both for preparation of medicine or many religious practices. In the Southern part of Asia, it is commonly used in form of medical plant and as a Ayurvedic herbal tea preparation.
Ayurvedic Usage
The use of Tulsi has been in Ayurveda for several thousands of years because it has varied therapeutic properties. It is also recommended as an Ayurvedic medicine in the primeval Ayurvedic book named Charaka Samhita. It also benefits human body by balancing the various human body processes and helps in reducing stress in the body. It also benefits when one is suffering from cough by chewing its leaves. Chewing the leaves of Tulsi plant after consuming meals helps in the digestion process. Consuming of Tulsi leaves before or after bath with cold water helps in maintaining temperature of the stomach and hence prevents from cold. It is also helpful for the prevention of bacteria in the cooked food by placing the leaves in water over the cooked food.
Worship
The Tulsi plant has been listed as the holiest plants by the Hindu community. The prayer performed while worshiping the Tulsi plant declares the creator of this world who is considered as Lord Brahma houses in the branch of Tulsi Plant, the roots of the Tulsi plant must be worshipped as all the pilgrimage of Hindus and the sacred Ricer Ganga flows in its roots, the stem of the plant are formed and worshipped as Hindu deities while the leaves are worshipped for the Hindu Vedas. The plant of Tulsi is also referred to as “Central sectarian mark of Hinduism” where as the Vaishvas have declared Tulsi as “expression of god in the vegetable realm”.
The Hindu household who are orthodox have a Tulsi Plant for surely in their houses and generally Brahmins and Vaisnavas of Hindu community plant a Tulsi in their house. The place where the Tulsi plant is grown is named as Vrindavan which can be explained as an elevated cuboids shaped brick like structure that is generally placed in the center house patio or can also be placed in front of house.
It is believed that a person who regularly waters and takes care of Tulsi is assumed to achieve moksha and has special celtestial blessings of Lord Vishnu even if Lord Vishnu is directly worshipped. It is majorly seen that the women of the house take care of Tulsi. Worshipping Tulsi on Tuesday and Friday is considered to be most auspicious but the caress of the Tulsi plant should be done regularly. The major practice involved for taking care of Tulsi is by watering the plant, clearing the place around where the Tulsi plant is grown by water and cow dung, the plant is also worshipped by offering food, flower and Ganges water. Colorful rangoli of deities are made around the foot of the plant. Tulsi must be sacredly worshipped during morning and evening by lighting a lamp or a candle.
Festivals
The major ceremony performed for the Tulsi plant is the Tulsi Vivah performed on the days between Prabodhini Ekadishi and Kartik Poornima. The marriage ceremony between Tulsi plant and Lord Vishnu is performed. The traditional Hindu wedding ceremonies are performed to marry Lord Vishnu and Tulsi plant. This day of the marriage is marked as the conclusion of Chatumas that resembles the months of monsoon and is not considered favorable for performing the wedding ceremonies and hence the marriage of Lord Vishnu and Tulsi is considered auspicious way of starting of the wedding season in India.
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