Pics by: Justin D’Silva
Daijiworld Media Network – Udupi (JD)
Udupi, Jul 18: Tulsi leaves offered to Lord Sri Krishna of Udupi are being used for medicine for the benefit of patients all over India and abroad. Sri Dharmasthala Ayurveda Hospital, Kuthpady in the city is preparing capsules from the Tulsi leaves offered to Lord.
Paryaya Palimar Sri Vidhyadeesh Theertha had decided to offer one lac Tulsi leaves everyday to Lord Krishna. For this purpose, he had initiated to grow Tulsi gardens in many places of Udupi. But these petals were not used for any other purpose after the offering to the Lord.
Later Dr Veerendra Heggade, Dharmadhikari of Dharmasthala Sri Manjunatha Kshethra decided to prepare Tulsi capsules.
“We get 10-12 kg of Tulsi every day. Not even a single petal is considered as waste. With the modern equipment, installed specially for this purpose, we prepare capsule, powder, kashaya, and other medicinal products. These products are sold all over India. The products are proved to be very successful. These products can be used as a medicine for cough, allergy, and to improve immunity,” says Dr Muralidhar Ballal, general manager, SDM Ayurvedic Pharmacy Kuthpady.
The Tulsi leaves received from Krishna Math are washed carefully and are dried in a vacuum machine at a temperature of 46 to 47 degrees. These leaves are then processed in an extractor with boiling water. Then it is made as a Tulsi extract and made as a Tulsi capsule in controlled ambiance.
These medicinal products are available for the use of patients in 10 states of India. They are also exported to foreign countries like Croatia and Ukraine. SDM Ayurveda pharmacy also has patents for 15 medicines.
Apart from the capsule, the pharmacy also prepares Kasha Abhaya cough syrup, which is very useful syrup for the cough problem.
The pharmacy was started in 1959 by Dr D Veerendra Heggade. In 1994, the pharmacy was upgraded with new machinery and much new advanced equipment was introduced. DR D Veerendra Heggade, with an aim of advancement in Ayurvedic medicine, built a new 40,000-square feet factory. Currently more than 100 workers are working in this facility, producing quality Ayurvedic medicines for public use.
Thus the divine Tulsi leaves are now used to cure people with diseases.