How should we keep a tulasī plant at home?

in a clean, sunny spot — ideally the courtyard, north or east — watered daily and honoured with a lamp at dusk.

Tulasī (holy basil) is revered as a form of Lakṣmī and as dearest to Viṣṇu, and a tulasī in the home is considered a blessing in itself. Traditionally she is planted in a raised tulasī-vṛndāvana in the courtyard; in flats, a pot on a sunny balcony facing north or east works well.

Water her in the morning after bathing, offer a little kumkum or a flower, and light a lamp beside her at dusk. Many families walk around her and touch the soil with folded hands. Her leaves are offered to Viṣṇu and Kṛṣṇa and placed on naivedya.

Common customs: many homes do not pluck tulasī leaves on Ekādaśī, Sundays or after sunset, and pick a few the day before instead. In Kārttika, Tulasī Vivāha celebrates her marriage to Viṣṇu as Śālagrāma. If a plant dies, return it to the soil respectfully and plant a new one.

Tulasī Vivāha in Kārttika · Source: Purāṇic tradition (Padma Purāṇa and others)

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