Holy basil | Description, Uses, & Facts (2024)

holy basil, (Ocimum tenuiflorum), flowering plant of the mint family (Lamiaceae) grown for its aromatic leaves. Holy basil is native to the Indian subcontinent and grows throughout Southeast Asia. The plant is widely used in Ayurvedic and folk medicine, often as an herbal tea for a variety of ailments, and is considered sacred in Hinduism. It is also used as a culinary herb with a pungent flavour that intensifies with cooking. It is reminiscent of clove, Italian basil (Ocimum basilicum), and mint and has a peppery spiciness. It is considered an agricultural weed and an invasive species in some areas outside its native range.

Physical description

The holy basil plant is a small annual or short-lived perennial shrub, up to 1 metre (3.3 feet) in height. The stems are hairy and bear simple toothed or entire leaves oppositely along the stem. The fragrant leaves are green or purple, depending on the variety. The small purple or white tubular flowers have green or purple sepals and are borne in terminal spikes. The fruits are nutlets and produce numerous seeds.

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In Hinduism

The holy basil plant is revered in Hinduism as a manifestation of the goddess Lakshmi (Tulsi), the principal consort of the god Vishnu. The plant is especially sacred to Vaishnavites (devotees of Vishnu), and the Lord Krishna, an avatar of Vishnu, is said to wear a garland of holy basil leaves and flowers around his neck. The plant is grown in many Hindu homes, often in the courtyard in a dedicated four-sided structure, and the presence of a holy basil plant is believed to increase piety, foster meditation, purify, and protect. Devotees commonly worship in the morning and evening with mantras and offerings of flowers, incense, or water from the Ganges, and Tuesdays and Fridays are considered especially sacred. Even the ritual act of watering and caring for the plant, usually undertaken by the women of the house, is considered worshipful and meritorious. Holy basil is cultivated at many temples, and the woody stems of plants that have died are used to make beads for sacred japa mala (rosaries). The beginning of the Hindu wedding season is marked by a festival known as Tulsi Vivah, in which homes and temples ceremonially wed holy basil to Vishnu. Water infused with the leaves is often given to the dying to help elevate their souls, and funeral pyres are commonly fitted with holy basil twigs with the hopes that the deceased may obtain moksha and be liberated from the cycle of rebirth.