Basil leaves have many health benefits including nutritional &medicinal . They are found to be useful in the treatment of fever, common cold , cough ,asthma & stress. It helps in purifying blood, reducing blood glucose and cholesterol level, helps in managing mouth ulcer and arthritis.
How basil leaves help to improve your health?
Do you know basil leaves benefit your health & wellness in a myriad ways? Basil leaves have culinary as well as medicinal uses. It is a good flavoring agent in various cuisines worldwide. The leaves and the essential oil distilled from the flowering plants are used as powerful flavoring agents. It is used for treating cough and also used in cosmetics. Basil leaves are also found to be helpful in boosting your memory.
Basil leaves have numerous health benefits & they are useful in the treatment of fever, common cold & stress. It helps in purifying blood, reducing blood glucose, risk of heart attacks and cholesterol level, mouth ulcer and arthritis.
Its nutritional & medicinal values are extensively researched of late by the scientific community and the studies points out that basil leaves are rich source of vitamin A, Vitamin C, calcium, phosphorus, beta carotene. All these vitamins are extremely good antioxidants which help to prevent many serious diseases of vital organs. In addition these vitamin antioxidants function as anti-ageing factors to your skin enhancing its glow.
The plant details – name, family &various species of basil
Basil leaves are glossy and oval-shaped, with smooth or slightly toothed edges that typically cup slightly; the leaves are arranged oppositely along the square stems. In India it is called babui tulsi.
It is known by various names in different geographical areas including basilica (in French), basilikum or basilienkraut (in German), ba-silico (in Italian), rehan (in Arabic) . In the English language, it is known as basil, common basil or sweet basil.
Basil is an aromatic herb of the mint family, with a pungent clovelike flavor.
Basil (Ocimum basilicum) belongs to the mint family Lamiaceae and genus ocimum.
Various species of basil are produced and used commercially including the small-leaf common basil, the larger leaf Italian basil, and the large lettuce-leaf basil.
Thai basil (O. basilicum var. thyrsiflora) and the related holy basil (O. tenuiflorum) and lemon basil (O. ×citriodorum) are commonly used in foods of Asians.
History of the plant-its origin & global usage
Basil leaves have been mentioned in Greek mythology. In ancient Egypt, basil has been used in combination with other essences and oils, during religious ceremonies and for mummification.
These leaves were introduced in England in the sixteenth century. Basil leaves were widely used in medicine and for culinary and perfumery purposes all over the Europe, particularly in France during that time.
Basil leaves oil – properties
Their oil possesses various functions like antimicrobial activity, anticancer activity, and also anti-inflammatory activities [3]. This may protect you from microbes and cancers.
There are various compounds present in the oil of basil leaves such as oxygenated monoterpenes, sesquiterpene hydrocarbons, and oxygenated sesquiterpenes. They also contain various components like linalool, camphor, and germacrene .
What are the health benefits of basil leaves?
• Basil leaves are very good Antioxidants
Vitamin A, C and beta carotenes are effective antioxidants which fight against free radicals attacking the cells of your body. The free radical attack is detrimental to your health as it may cause various organ diseases and premature skin ageing.
Ocimum basilicum (O. basilicum) species contains more than 20 bioactive compounds such as linalool, estragole, methyl eugenol, 1,8-cineole, etc. Flavonoids, catechins, and triterpenes showed protective effect on oxidative stress induced by environmental factors. Oxidative stress caused by free radicals is the main trigger for various serious diseases of human body. Basil leaves offers you antioxidant protection effectively.
Basil leaves have potential to prevent inflammations
A2017 study shows that basil leaves essential oils have anti-inflammatory properties [4].
Boosts health of bones &muscles
Calcium, phosphorus and magnesium in basil leaves help in strengthening your bones and muscles.
• Basil leaves helps to reduce your cholesterol levels in the body
Basil leaves helps to reduce LDL cholesterol and triglycerides.
The underlying mechanisms of the effect found may be due to an increased stimulation of the lipolytic activity of plasma lipoprotein lipase and liver enzyme lipase[6].
• Basil leaves can improves your fasting blood sugar
Animal study shows that basil leaves can lower blood glucose level[7].
• Basil leaves help to manage lung diseases such as bronchitis,asthma etc.
A study shows that O. basilicum basil leaves are traditionally used in different cultures across the globe for the management of lung diseases and other organ disorders[5].
The bioactive ingredients of O. basilicum have been described to prevent different viral infections.
Three types of compounds including linalool, apigenin, and ursolic acid have been found to be protective against various types of human adenovirus complications in people having bronchitis.
Basil leaves compounds have bronchodilatory effects against chronic lung diseases such as asthma &bronchitis.
Various studies showed the relaxant effects of O. basilicum and its main constituents including linalool and eugenol, and have showed bronchodilatory effects. However, further extensive studies are needed in this area to confirm the effects more convincingly.
Foods that you can make with basil leaves
You may include basil leaves in various types of salads. Further more, you may cook various veg and no veg recipes with basil leaves such as:
The Tamil literature encompasses a wide a collection of literary works that originated from a tradition spanning more than two thousand years in South India. It also portrays the history of Tamil Nadu, with its social, economic, political and cultural trends of various periods.
Tamil is one of the oldest Dravidian languages of Indian subcontinent. The Tamil writing system evolved from the Brahmi script. The scriptures in Tamil are written mostly as religious texts of Sangam period and a few in post Sangam period. The contributors to the Tamil literature are mainly from Tmil speaking people of Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Eelam Tamils from Sri Lanka, as well as the Tamil diaspora.
The Sangam literature
The early Sangam literature, dated before 300 BCE, is one of the most renowned epic poetries of Tamil literature and contains anthologies of many Tamil poets depicting various aspects of life, including love, war, social values and religion.
Scholars consider this Tamil tradition-based chronology as ahistorical as well as mythical. The sangam period and literature originated in South India and lasted between the period 3rd century BCE to 3rd century CE. Most scholars suggest the historical Sangam literature era, also called the Sangam period, spanned from c. 300 BCE to 300 CE, while others variously place this early classical Tamil literature period a bit later before 300 CE.
According to Kamil Zvelebil, a Tamil literature and history scholar, the most acceptable range for the Sangam literature is 100 BCE to 250 CE, based on the linguistic and text references. Tamil tradition holds the earliest Sangam poetry to be older than twelve millennia. Modern linguistic scholarship places the poems between the first century B.C.E. and the third century C.E. The age of Sangam is established through the correlation between the evidence on foreign trade found in the poems and the writings by ancient Greek and Romans such as Periplus.
The sangam literature is historically known as ‘the poetry of the noble ones’.
It is believed that Sangam literature originated in three chankams, or literary academies, in Madurai, India, from the 1st to the 4th century BCE. The Tamil tradition and legends link it to three legendary literary gatherings around Madurai and Kapaṭapuram and the first lasted over 4,440 years, the second over 3,700 years, and the third over 1,850 years.
The Sangam age is considered by the Tamil people as the golden era of the Tamil language. During this period, the Tamil country was ruled by the Cheras, Pandyas, and the Cholas.
Many of the original literature works of Sangam period is lost. The available literature from this period has been broadly divided in antiquity into three categories based roughly on chronology. These are: The Major Eighteen Anthology Series comprising the Ettuthokai (Eight Anthologies) and the Pattupattu (Ten Idylls) and the Five Great Epics. Tolkaappiyam, a commentary on grammar, phonetics, rhetoric, and poetics, is dated from this period.
These were composed in three successive poetic assemblies (Sangam) that were held in ancient times on a now vanished continent far to the south of India. It is believed that a significant amount of literature could have preceded Tolkappiyam, as grammar books are usually written after a literature has existed for a long period.
The poems of Sangam literature mostly are discussing two main topics: those of the first five collections are on love (akam), and those of the next two are on heroism (puram), including the praise of kings and their deeds. Paripatal, the eighth collection, contains poems of both types.
Post Sangam period works of Tamil literature
Later, at the end of Sangam period many great tamil epics were written including Cilappathikaram,Manimeghalai ,Civaka cintamani ,Valayapathi and Kundalakesi.
Manimegalai and Kundalakesi are Buddhist religious works. Civaka cintamani and Valayapathi are Tamil Jain works. Cilappathikaram does not implicate any religious views and it is written in monologue style of Sangam literature.
The ‘Tirukkuraḷ ‘written during this period is a collection of aphorisms depicts topics such as love, kingship, and ethics. It is a work that has had great influence on Tamil culture and life. It is usually attributed to the poet Tiruvalluvar , who is thought to have lived in the 6th century, though some scholars assign an earlier date (1st century bc).
The Tirukkural consists of 133 sections of 10 couplets each are divided into three books: aram (virtue), porul (government and society), and kamam (love). The first section opens with praise of God, rain, renunciation, and a life of virtue. It then presents a world-affirming vision, the wisdom of human sympathy that expands from one’s family and friends to one’s clan, village, and country. The porul section projects a vision of an ideal state and relates good citizenship to virtuous private life. The kamam section addresses both “secret love” and married love; the section on married love is written as a dialogue between husband and wife.
From the 6th to 12th century CE, the Tamil devotional poems written by Alvars (sages of Vaishnavism) and Nayanmars (sages of Shaivism) and, heralded the onset of great Bhakti movement which later spread to the whole Indian subcontinent.
In the post Sangam period the early epics and moral literature, authored by Vaishnavite, Shaivite, Ajivika; probably written by Jain and Buddhist authors and poets lasting up to the 5th century CE. Original scriptures of Ajivika seems to be lost .The Ajivika school of philosophy is known for its doctrine of fate or Niyati.That is the followers believed that every happenings of past,present and future are preordained and a function of cosmic principles. This philosophy was prominent in Mauryan empire of Bindusara in the 4th century. It reached Tamil speaking areas in 14th century CE.
During the medieval era some of the grandest of Tamil literary classics like Kambaramayanam and Periya Puranam were authored and many poets were patronized by the imperial Chola and Pandya empires.
The later medieval period saw many assorted minor literary works and also contributions by a few Muslim and European authors.
Sustainable living is a method of reducing one’s “carbon footprint”. In this life style people learn to minimize their use of Earth’s resources and reduce the personal and environmental impact. It also includes healthy organic food choices.
Sustainable living means we prioritize the use of natural and renewable resources instead of creating excess waste and depleting environmental resources for future generations. Sustainable living can counteract climate change and other negative environmental concerns happening from human activity of exploiting natural resources.
Sustainable living is a practical life style choice or philosophy that aims to reduce personal and environmental impact by making positive changes.
More precisely, sustainable living is a method of reducing one’s “carbon footprint”.
In this life style people learn to minimize their use of Earth’s resources and reduce the personal and environmental impact.
Sustainability or sustainable living was an idea proposed to create and maintain the conditions under which humans and nature can exist in productive harmony to support present and future generations.
Living sustainably means” curb expenditure” in order to protect and improve our environment.”
The natural resource base to supply food is being threatened by overfishing, land degradation, and more human activities exploiting natural resources. All these unbridled exploitations are polluting the world’s freshwater supplies faster than nature can purify them, and excessive use of water is contributing to global water stress. And household energy usage is contributing to 21 percent of consequential CO2 emissions.
A few sustainable living options
· Empower organic farmers & people with agricultural and financial support they needed to make a fair living without cutting down trees.
· Don’t use plastic bags at checkout. Instead, take your own bags for groceries.
· Buy your grains & groceries in bulk from your local farmer’s markets.
· Avoid buying plastic-wrapped products, opt for a paper bag instead.
· Stop buying bottled water. Use your own steel or glass bottles filled with water.
· Shop at bulk food stores for any goods, avoid frequent food travels. Better take products in your own jars or bags.
· Take your own paper bags or a container when buying snacks .
· Support fashion brands that are ethical and environmentally conscious.
· Learn how to find sustainable materials when shopping.
· Go paperless to avoid deforestation or falling down trees for making paper.
· Opt to receive digital letters and notices.
· Send electronic wedding invitations.
· Collect scrap paper in a tray.
· Turn off your computer before leaving work.
· Get rid of your home printer.
· Unplug workstation from ports overnight to reduce phantom power.
· If you need business cards, use an eco-friendly printer.
· Add small pot plants to your workspace. Adopt green office environment
· Always use double-sided printing where possible.
· Juice the off-cuts of your vegetables and fruits.
· Repurpose glass jars usage.
· Use washable metal straws instead of disposable plastic straws.
· Limit the use of hot water when hand washing dishes.
· Use cloths instead of paper towels.
· Make your own coffee instead of buying takeaway.
· Ditch your bin liner or use newspaper instead.
· Start composting the vegetable and food waste.
· Reduce your food waste by eating only what you need.
· Invest in a pressure cooker and reduce your cooking time and save energy.
The stupas, temples, viharas, and stambha monuments at Sanchi in Madhyapradesh,India are among the oldest and most relevant examples of aniconic arts and free-standing architecture that comprehensively document the history of Buddhism in ancient India.
Dr.Sanjana p Souparnika
Sanchi Stupa is a Buddhist complex, famous for its Great Stupa, on a hilltop at Sanchi Town in Raisen District of the State of Madhya Pradesh, India. It is located 46 kilometres (29 mi) north-east of Bhopal, capital of Madhya Pradesh.
The stupas, temples, viharas, and stambha at Sanchi in central India are among the oldest and most mature examples of aniconic arts and free-standing architecture that comprehensively document the history of Buddhism from the 3rd century BCE to the 12th century CE. It is an important monument of Indian Architecture originally commissioned by the Mauryan emperor Ashoka in the 3rd century BCE. The stupa at Sanchi built during the Mauryan period was made of bricks.
The monuments at Sanchi now comprise a series of Buddhist monuments starting from the Mauryan Empire period (3rd century BCE), continuing with the Gupta Empire period (5th century CE), and ending around the 12th century CE. It is probably the best preserved group of Buddhist monuments in India.
The oldest, and also the largest monument, the Great Stupa also called Stupa No. 1, initially built under the Mauryans, and adorned with one of the Pillars of Ashoka
Sanchi is the center of a region with a number of stupas, all within a few miles of Sanchi. These include
Satdhara (9 km to the W of Sanchi]
The Relics of Sariputra and Mahamoggallana
Bhojpur (also called Morel Khurd, a fortified hilltop with 60 stupas11km away)
Andher (17 km SE of Sanchi)
Sonari (10 km SW of Sanchi)
Saru Maru stupa [ 100 km away ]
Bharhut is 300 km to the northeast.
During the reign of under the Shungas and the Satavahanas, the Great Stupa was enlarged and decorated with gates and railings, and smaller stupas were also built in the vicinity, especially Stupa No.2, and Stupa No.3
Sanchi monuments were rediscovered by the British colonialists general Henry Taylor in 1818.The first excavation of this site was done under the supervision of Major Alexander Cunningham in 1851.
The architecture of great stupa at Sanchi
The “Great Stupa” at Sanchi is the oldest structure and was originally commissioned by the emperor Ashoka the Great of the Maurya Empire in the 3rd century BCE.
Its nucleus was a hemispherical brick structure built over the sacred relics of the Buddha, with a raised terrace encompassing its base, and a railing and stone umbrella on the summit, the chatra, a parasol-like structure symbolizing high rank.
The original Stupa only had about half the diameter of today’s stupa at Sanchi , which is further enhanced by the Sungas. It was covered in brick, unlike the stones that now cover it.
During the later rule of the Shunga, the stupa was expanded with stone slabs to almost twice its original size. The dome was flattened near the top and crowned by three superimposed parasols within a square railing. With its many tiers it was a symbol of the dharma, the Wheel of the Law. The dome was set on a high circular drum meant for circumambulation, which could be accessed via a double staircase. A second stone pathway at ground level was enclosed by a stone balustrade.
Myths & history associated with Sanchi stupa
According to one version of the Mahavamsa, the Buddhist chronicle of Sri Lanka, The emperor Ashoka is closely linked with the region of Sanchi. It is believed that While he was heir-apparent and was journeying as Viceroy to Ujjain, he is said to have halted at Vidisha (10 kilometers from Sanchi), and there married the daughter of a local banker who was named as Devi. Sanchi was the venue of Devi and Ashoka’s wedding.
The original construction work of this stupa was overseen by Ashoka. In the 1st century BCE, four elaborately carved toranas (ornamental gateways) and a balustrade encircling the entire structure were added.
Inscriptions
Sanchi, especially Stupa 1, has a large number of Brahmi inscriptions. Although most of them are small and mention donations, they are of great historical significance. James Prinsep in 1837, found that most of them ended with the same two Brahmi characters. Princep took them as “danam” (donation), which permitted the decipherment of the Brahmi script.
An analysis of the deciphered scripts denote that most of the donors were from Ujjain, Vidisha, Kurara, Nadinagar, Mahisati, Kurghara, Bhogavadhan and Kamdagigam. Three inscriptions are known from Yavana (Indo-Greek)donors at Sanchi,. The script denoting which reads “Setapathiyasa Yonasa danam” (“Gift of the Yona of Setapatha”), Setapatha being an uncertain city.
The art of Sanchi
The art of Sanchi developed considerably in the 1st century BCE/CE and is thought to predate the blooming of the Greco-Buddhist art of Gandhara, which went on to flourish until around the 4th century CE.
The art of Sanchi is considered as the ancestor of the didactic forms of Buddhist art that would follow, such as the art of Gandhara. The Buddhist monuments at Sanchi contain an appreciable concentration of early Indian artistic techniques and Buddhist art, referred to as its Anionic School or Phase. Depicting Buddha through symbols, the sculpted art shows the evolution in sculpting techniques and the elaboration of icons, especially depicting Buddha.
Ashoka pillar
A pillar of finely polished sandstone, one of the Pillars of Ashoka, was also erected on the side of the main Torana gateway. The bottom part of the pillar still stands. The upper parts of the pillar are at the nearby Sanchi Archaeological Museum. The capital consists in four lions, which probably supported a Wheel of Law.
The pillar has an Ashokan inscription (Schism Edict)[13] and an inscription in the ornamental Sankha Lipi from the Gupta period.[6] The Ashokan inscription is engraved in early Brahmi characters. It is unfortunately much damaged, but the commands it contains appear to be the same as those recorded in the Sarnath and Kausambi edicts, which together form the three known instances of Ashoka’s “Schism Edict”. It relates to the penalties for schism in the Buddhist sangha:
… the path is prescribed both for the monks and for the nuns. As long as (my) sons and great-grandsons (shall reign; and) as long as the Moon and the Sun (shall endure), the monk or nun who shall cause divisions in the Sangha, shall be compelled to put on white robes and to reside apart. For what is my desire? That the Sangha may be united and may long endure.
Now Sanchi group of monuments are owned by the Government of India and is conserved, prot
ected, maintained, and managed by the Archaeological Survey of India under the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains (AMASR) Act (1958
Sanchi Monument listed by UNESCO
Currently , around fifty monuments remain on the hill of Sanchi, including three main stupas and several temples. The monuments have been listed among other famous monuments in the UNESCO World Heritage Sites since 1989.
How to reach Sanchi?
The nearest airport is Bhopal which is 55 km away from it. Trains are available from Bhopal and Rani Kamlapati to Sanchi railway station.
