Holy basil - Plant Biographies

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Ocimum sanctum
[Synonyms : Geniosporum tenuiflorum, Ocimum album, Ocimum brachiatum, Ocimum
flexuosum, Ocimum frutescens, Ocimum gratissimum, Ocimum hirsutum, Ocimum
inodorum, Ocimum monachorum, Ocimum sanctum var. hirsuta, Ocimum tenuiflorum,
Ocimum tomentosum, Ocimum villosum, Ocimum virgatum, Plectranthus monachorum,
Plectranthus striatus]
HOLY BASIL is a perennial. Native to tropical Asia it has tiny white or purple flowers.
It is also known as Ajaka (Sanskrit), Alungai (Tamil), Arjaka (Sanskrit), Baranda (Hindi),
Bajiru hoorii (Japanese), Basilic (petite feuille) (French), Basilic sacré (French), Basilic
sacré à feuilles vertes (French), Basilic thaïlandais (French), Brinda (Sanskrit), Brynda
(Telugu), Bush tea, Cay e tia (Vietnamese), Cay co e rung (Vietnamese), Che tak
(Khmer), Che tak me (Khmer), Dohsh (Arabic), E do (Vietnamese), E rung
(Vietnamese), E tia (Vietnamese), E to (Vietnamese), Gaggera (Telugu), Gauri
(Sanskrit), Gramya (Sanskrit), Haripriya (Sanskrit), Heiliger Basilikum (German), Húng
quế (Vietnamese), Huong nhu tia (Vietnamese), Indisches Basilikum (German), Jangalii
tulasii (Hindi), Janglitulshi (Urdu), Kaalaa tulasii (Hindi), Kala-pinsein (Burmese),
Kalatulsi (Bengali, Kannada), Kali tulsi (Urdu), Kalotulsi (Bengali), Kamibouki
(Japanese), Kamimebouki (Japanese), Ka phrao (Thai), Karitulasi (Kannada),
Karuntulasi (Tamil), Karut tulasi (Tamil), Kemangen (Javanese), Kemangi (Malay),
Klampes (Sundanese), Krishnamula (Sanskrit), Krishna tulasii (Hindi, Malayalam,
Sanskrit), Krishnatulsi (Telugu), Krisna (Nepalese), Kukka pala (Telugu), Kullai (Tamil),
Kunnakam (Malayalam), Kural (Bengali), Laxmi (Sanskrit), Lun (Burmese), Madhavi
(Sanskrit), Maduru-tala (Sanskrit, Singhalese), Manjari (Sanskrit), Manjericão-branco
(Portuguese), Mareah proeu (Khmer), Monks’ basil, Mosquito plant, Mrea preu
(Khmer), Mudura tulla (Sanskrit, Singhalese), Nalla thulasi (Tamil), Oddhi (Telugu),
Parnasa (Sanskrit), Patrapuspha (Sanskrit), Phak i tou thai (Laotian), Pinsein-net
(Burmese), Punya (Malayalam), Rau quế (Vietnamese), Red basil, Rough basil, Sacred
basil, Sacred Thai basil, Saphaa (Khmer), Sa phao lom deng (Khmer), Sa phao lom khao
(Khmer), Schadjant (Arabic), Selaseh (Malay), Selasih merah (Malay), Selasih Siam
(Malay), Sheng luo le (Chinese), Shivatulasi (Malayalam), Shri tulasi (Malayalam),
Siamese basil, Sivatulasi (Malayalam), Sritulasi (Kannada, Sanskrit), Surasa (Sanskrit),
Suvasa tulasi (Sanskrit), Talasi (Gujarati), Thai basil, Thulasi (Tamil, Telugu), Tiruttilai
(Tamil), Tiruttuzhai (Tamil), Trittavu (Malayalam), Tulas (Marathi), Tulasa (Marathi),
Tulase (Brazilian, Portuguese), Tulasi (Bengali, Kannada, Tamil, Telugu), Tulasii
(Assamese, Hindi, Sanskrit), Tulasii patra (Nepalese), Tulshi (Bengali, Marathi), Tulsi
(Bengali, German, Gujarati, Hindi, Sanskrit, Tamil, Telugu), Tulsichettu (Telugu), Tulsii
maa (Nepalese), Tulsi of India, Tu thai (Thai), Tuzay (Tamil), Vaishnavi (Sanskrit),
Varanda (Hindi), Vishnu priya (Sanskrit), Vishnu tulasi (Kannada), and Vishnu tulsi
(Kannada).
Sanctum is Latin (to consecrate, hallow, make sacred) meaning ‘holy’.
Holy basil is one of the most sacred plants for the Hindus in India and has been revered for
centuries. It is sacred to the Hindu gods Krishna and Vishnu and in the home is looked
upon as the family’s protecting spirit. (A legend is said to tell how Vishnu’s wife,
©Sue Eland 2008
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Lakhsmi, assumed the form of holy basil so that she could soothe the world.) Holy basil
can be found growing near most Hindu homes usually on pedestals in the courtyard. The
addition of a few leaves to a Hindu dish not only adds flavour but also consecrates it at
the same time – although it is understood that many Hindus avoid using any form of basil
in cooking, not just this species. During funerals basil is still placed on the breast of the
body of the Hindu who has died.
Like basil (Ocimum basilicum), holy basil has also been cultivated on the Indonesian island of
Sumatra for ritual offerings to the spirits.
This species can be added (sparingly) to salads and used as a condiment. In Asia it is often
chewed as an alternative to betel (Piper betle).
Old thick stems are used to make beads.
Medicinally, a decoction of the plant has been prescribed in Asian countries for treating
coughs, bronchitis, children’s gastric disorders and various skin diseases.
©Sue Eland 2008
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