Holy basil the auspicious

September 5th, 2006

If there is a system of beliefs that has caught the fancy and has stayed on to rule the mind of a common man, an architect, a builder, a developer and just anybody who has anything to do with construction, that is Vastu, the Indian version of the Chinese Feng Shui. Vastu and Feng Shui claim that the inanimate objects like the design and direction of the structures we live and work in and the effects placed in them affect our present and future.

I have been observing for the last five years or so how Vastu in India has established its roots in the psyche of all and sundry. A number of my friends living in the so-called inappropriately designed houses ordered, at vast expense, drastic changes to make them Vastu compliant.

Properties which do not face east and north, going by Vastu, are inauspicious and hence would be sold at a far lesser price than those which face the “good directions”.

Needless to mention, Vastu and Feng Shui have spawned an army of experts and consultants, some of who are highly paid for their advice. Feng Shui calls for far lesser changes and hence expense, though.

Living in a westward facing house for more than a decade and going through several hardships too, convinced me that non-compliance to Vastu was the root cause of my troubles. Unable to pay for a consultant, let alone for the anticipatory changes to my house, I decided to consult my yoga teacher. “Put a plant of Holy basil in your house and forget”, he was clear about the solution.

After having done that, I realized that my entire westward facing neighbourhood was prospering. My neighbours were changing their cars frequently enough, a ready sign of their prosperity. If I had to put up with my old car it had nothing to do with my house or its direction. It was to do with the way I managed (or mismanaged) my affairs. That was something I put right after I put Holy basil, neatly tucked in a pot, in my house. Things started looking up thereafter.

The leaves of Holy basil adorn all the rituals of worship and daily prayers. They are used both fresh and dry. In a traditional Indian home freshly prepared food is first offered to God before every one else is served. The food offered to God is topped with Basil leaves as a mark of purity and respect.

The Basil plant is worshipped as goddess Tulsi, the Hindi name for the plant. In worship it is offered water with chanting of religious verses from holy scriptures. The religious place of the plant is much attributed to its ability to keep insects at bay and for its anti-microbial properties. It is known to purify the atmosphere as well as having a high medicinal value.

Dr George Birdwood, Professor of Anatomy, Grant Medical College, Bombay wrote to The Times, London, dated May 2, 1903 - “When the Victoria Gardens were established in Bombay, the men employed on those works were pestered by mosquitoes. At the recommendation of the Hindu managers, the whole boundary of the gardens was planted with holy basil, on which the plague of mosquitoes was at once abated, and fever altogether disappeared from among the resident gardeners”.

Entry Filed under: Healthy Foods