Description

Ocimum tenuiflorum (syn. Ocimum sanctum), Holy Basil or Tulsi, is a perennial aromatic herb of the family Lamiaceae, indigenous to the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia. Uniquely among medicinal plants, Tulsi is simultaneously a sacred plant, a household medicine, and a commercially traded medicinal commodity in India — cultivated in an estimated 700 million Indian homes as a deity-plant associated with Lord Vishnu. Classified in Ayurveda as Vishnu Priya (dear to Vishnu) and as a significant adaptogenic and Rasayana herb, Tulsi is documented in the Charaka Samhita and Sushruta Samhita for preparations addressing respiratory conditions, fever management, immune support, stress, and nervous system calm. Listed in the Ayurvedic Pharmacopoeia of India, the dried leaf is one of the highest-volume herbal tea ingredients exported from India and is incorporated in formulations across Ayurvedic, Siddha, and naturopathic traditions.