Tulsi is a prominent Indian basil that is considered
to be very sacred. In the house of every Hindu family, you'll find a
Tulsi planted in the courtyard. In certain homes, Tulsi plant is kept in
a specially constructed structure and is surrounded by images of Hindu
Gods and Goddesses from all four sides. Some people establish a small
basil forest, by planting dozens of Tulsi plants in their garden. Such
kind of a miniature forest is called "Tulsivan" or "Tulsivrindavan".
Thus, Hindus worship Tulsi as a deity.
According to the Gandharv Tantra, the ideal place for worship is
believed to be the one where there is an abundance of Tulsi plants.
Tulsi plants sharpen the memory and enhance the concentration. There is
a temple at Varanasi that was established in the dedication of Goddess
Tulsi. Tulsi Manas Mandir is a very famous temple at Varanasi that draws
huge crowds every year. Here, people come from different parts of the
country to offer prayers to Tulsi Devi.
The devotees of Lord Vishnu, also known as Vaishnavites, worship the
leaf of Tulsi, due to the fact that Tulsi was very dear to Lord Vishnu.
Infact, as a part of devotion, there are many worshippers, who wear
beaded necklaces made by using the stems of Tulsi. As per the Gaudiya
Vaishnava tradition, Tulsi is known as Vrindadevi, which means the
Goddess of 'Vrindavan'. There are many interesting legends about Tulsi,
which have given her a very high status in the eyes of people. Since,
numerous mentions have been made about Tulsi in association with Lords
like Krishna and Vishnu, it is worshipped as a Goddess.
