Tulsi & Hindu Mythology

Among other plants grown in the houses of Hindu families, the basil plant, also known as Tulsi, holds a great importance. There are basically two types of Tulsi plants available, the light green Shri or Rama Tulsi and the dark red Krishna or Shyama or Manjari Tulsi.
It is so believed that Tulsi is very close to the heart of Lord Vishnu. For this reason, we find that whenever lord Vishnu is worshipped, the leaves of Tulsi are always offered to the Lord. The Lord’s pooja is said to be incomplete without the offerings of Tulsi. The Lord embellishes himself with the garland of Tulsi and its leaves are also placed at the lotus feet of the Lord.
In Hindu mythology, there are many stories associated with Tulsi. It is so believed that an impoverished woman, Tulsi, was indicted with charges of being unfaithful. When she was not accepted by anyone in society, she approached Lord Vishnu for help. But there also, Lakshmi, the consort of Lord Vishnu, did not allow her to enter the Vaikunthadham. But Tulsi did not lose hope and while waiting for the Lord in His courtyard for many days, she took the form of a plant (her arms turned into leaves and her feet into roots). Lord Vishnu was so pleased with her devotion that He asked her to be treated with respect as a consort. But as Laksmiji was quite envious of her, Tulsi has fetched a place for herself in the courtyard of a house.
The marriage of Tulsi with Lord Vishnu takes place every year in the month of Kartika according to the lunar calendar. For this reason, this month marks the beginning of marriage season in India. Performing the marriage of Tulsi with Shalagrama Stone, considered a depiction of Lord Vishnu, is considered commendable as it is equivalent to performing a kanyadaan.

The leaves of Tulsi are not offered to Lord Shiva but tulsi leaves offered to a Shaligram may be offered to Lord Shiva as Shiva is a devotee of Lord Vishnu.

The meaning of word Tulsi is 'incomparable one' and the plant indeed has such medicinal properties which are incomparable with other herbs. Having anti-bacterial and anti-parasitic properties, the plant is used as a cure for many diseases like cold, cough, bronchitis, fever, kidney stones, heart disorders, skin disorders, teeth disorders, mouth infections, headaches, etc.