My "Tulsi" Plant! Showed me....

Originally Posted by Devika Menon

Dear Vanaja,

A wonderful write up! When you see God in everything it shows you are very close to God.
Well my day starts with watering the Tulsi plant ,praying to Tulsimata to keep us safe and far from evil ,and then I drink some water .
I always feel very safe whenever I see the Tulsi plant and I owe her for keeping my home safe. I also use Tulsi everyday for my daughter micing it with honey.
Yes I have a lawn and am fond of gardening , and I absolutely love flowers but my favourite is the Shankhpushpam in blue which adorns and has beautified the front of my home and the Pavizhamali that wakes me up with its beautiful fragrance and reminds me its time for Puja.

Love,
Devika

Dear Devika,

Very nice to know that you have a garden. I too like Shankupushpam a lot. In my childhood days, there was a bungalow with a lush garden in the front at the end of our street. We kids, used to pluck these shanku flowers from the garden and would play using them.

Yes, the same feeling I have when I look at my Tulsi Plant. I feel really safe. Plants and flowers generally evoke our spiritual sense. Its a truth.

dear vanaja maam,
nice to know abt your tulsi plant....it is truly a wonderful experience to see God in everything that He has created...

tulsi,technically known as ocimum sanctum has a lot of medicinal properties as well...one of the reasons probably why our ancestors had it in their backyards without fail...

of course,it is one of the holiest of plants,and has a special place in the Vaishnava tradition.it is considered to be lord Vishnu's favourite plant, and no worship in a vaishnava household or temple is complete without the tulasi...it is also an integral part of the "theertham" or holy water.

it is one plant that grows very easily...the backyard of my uncle's house used to have lots of tulasi plants...of course,in our space starved flats, we have to resort to potted ones in balconies or terraces...

An amusing fact is that Triplicane(or Tiruvallikeni) in chennai, a famous Srivaishnava temple, was once known as the "Brindaranya Kshetram",meaning "a jungle of tulasi"
what was once a tulasi jungle is now merely a concrete jungle...u can hardly find a tree...hmmm,i used to wonder how it must have looked centuries ago....

rgds,
sowpar

Dear Vanaja
So glad you shared all this with us:) so nice to hear you got the plant and the story..and also happy to hear its thriving well:) keep us posted about your gardening efforts at our garden forum:)

Dear Vanaja,
Very very beautiful message .Once I went to Madurai,my SIL lives there.We went to a temple nearer to the house.There was an old tree within the temple complex.My SIL touched the trunk of the tree with both hands and prayed.I was surprised,but did not say anything.Later on she told me,"I prayed to the tree,just as you are blessed with so many branches,flowers and fruit so also my childrens' life should also prosper with children and their grandchildren.I was touched.From then on whenever,wherever I see atree or a plant I silently send a prayer asking for good life for my near and dear ones.
God lives everywhere.
mithila kannan

Hi Aruna,
My mom and my brother's wife were so sad that they lost all tulasi plants...
I don't know what to say about those neighbours.
Regards.

Originally Posted by Arunarc

Dear Punitha
that was really sad ya to hear so bad of those neighbours to cut off tulsi plant. My mom to have so many tulsi plants at home but never ever saw a snake in it. Those people might be feeling jealous becoz Tulsi was growing so well in your mom's place. As Tulsi plant is that plant which never grows in all the places. My mom's next neighbour tried to grow tulsi in her house but it doesn't grow there so many times she took it from mom and went but of no use.

Hi Vanaja,
My mom has couple of tulasi pots and she uses during pooja time and worship also.
Now those neighbours will come often to get a baby plant for their own house...

Regards.

Originally Posted by srinivasan_vanaja

Hi Puni,

Thanks a lot for the first FB. Tulsi never attracts snakes. It is a wrong information. When you have Tulsi plants in plenty, I mean like a farm, you will find snakes. That is again general, due to its fragrance.

One or two plants never attract snakes.

Heartless people! How can they cut off a plant that too a revered plant?

She can have it in pots and worship. Tulsi is dear to Lord Narayana. It is like having Lord Narayana at home.

Dear Vanaja,

Nice writeup!!! my all time favourite is TULASI plant. I am not that lucky to have it here due to very cold weather. In my Grandparents house, the backyard is full of Tulasi(both Laxmi and Krishna Tulasi). and i feel blessed if i get Tulasi leaves in Theertham in the temples.

do post us some pictures of your Tulasi...

Hello Vanaja,

Very nice thread.It is a wonderful feeling to see God in plants and animals. Your thread brought me some nostalgia. My mom used
to do pooja to Tulsi plant everyday. I cannot recollect exactly, but I think
she used to do wedding to the Tulsi plant.
When we were in New jersey I purchased a Tulsi plant which is only 3 inches high
from a temple. I maintained it indoors only in a pot. I kept it near the window.
It brought me some good vibrations. My husband used to keep away when I was on
periods. When we moved it grew to one feet, but I have given it to my neighbour there
with heavy heart, as we cannot transport live plants. All the way to our new place
I was thinking of the Tulsi plant. Thanks Vanaja for bringing back my memories.

vanaja,
sure nature is God...Seeing God in everything and feeling God is everywhere is indeed a Sadana...

I got Tulasi seeds from my parents house, when I came to Chennai for summer vacation...yet to plant inside and then keep outside for summer....

sriniketan

Originally Posted by sowparnika

dear vanaja maam,
nice to know abt your tulsi plant....it is truly a wonderful experience to see God in everything that He has created...

tulsi,technically known as ocimum sanctum has a lot of medicinal properties as well...one of the reasons probably why our ancestors had it in their backyards without fail...

of course,it is one of the holiest of plants,and has a special place in the Vaishnava tradition.it is considered to be lord Vishnu's favourite plant, and no worship in a vaishnava household or temple is complete without the tulasi...it is also an integral part of the "theertham" or holy water.

it is one plant that grows very easily...the backyard of my uncle's house used to have lots of tulasi plants...of course,in our space starved flats, we have to resort to potted ones in balconies or terraces...

An amusing fact is that Triplicane(or Tiruvallikeni) in chennai, a famous Srivaishnava temple, was once known as the "Brindaranya Kshetram",meaning "a jungle of tulasi"
what was once a tulasi jungle is now merely a concrete jungle...u can hardly find a tree...hmmm,i used to wonder how it must have looked centuries ago....

rgds,
sowpar

Dear Sowparnika,

Well you have given the botanical name of Tulsi.

My place is next to the Srivaishnava sthalam, I am in Mylapore. The temple that you have mentioned is "Tirvellikeni Parthasarathy Temple" which I am often used to visit. Yes, even I have heard that it is "Brindaranya Kshetram".

Yes, even the temple premises doesn't seem to have Tulsi Plant. But I have seen few plants were potted around the temple tank (around the water area) and is being maintained like a garden. I am not sure whether it has a Tulsi there.

Thanks for the reply and sharing your knowledge.