Karnataka: Herbal capsules from Tulasi offered to Lord Krishna at Udupi temple

UDUPI: Since the last six months, Udupi Sri Krishna Temple has found an effective way of waste management. Tulasi offered to Lord Krishna in the famous Udupi temple is converted into herbal capsules. Sri Dharmasthala Manjunatheshwara Ayurveda Pharmacy in Kuthpady has been using waste Tulasi leaves generated from the temple to prepare herbal capsules.
Paryaya Palimar Mutt Seer Sri Vidyadheesha Tirtha Swami initiated Nitya Laksha Tulasi Archane to Lord Sri Krishna ever since he took over as the paryaya seer.Thus, every day one lakh tulasi leaf buds are offered to the Lord and the same is thrown away the next day. D Veerendra Heggade, president, SDM institutions who was present when Palimar seer initiated Nitya Laksha Tulasi Archane to Lord Sri Krishna, expressed concern over Tulasi leaves being wasted after the puja.
“He gave his team a target to come up with a plan to use the waste tulasi leaves efficiently," said Dr Muralidhar Ballal, general manager, SDM Ayurveda Pharmacy. Preparation of herbal capsule needed separate machinery. It was decided to use vacuum dryer abstractor and spray dryer.
Explaining how it works, Dr Ballal said, “Fresh tulasi is vacuum dried after which nearly 100 kg fresh tulasi is reduced to 10 kg. It is then boiled with water and the decoction contains medical properties of tulasi. This decoction is concentrated under vacuum concentration and is fed to a spray dryer. This is when 10 kg of tulasi leaves is further reduced to 1-2 Kg. Thus, around 100 kg of herb is converted into 2.5-3 kg of potent herb. Tulasi herbal extract is capsulated to form a tulasi capsule which can be used therapeutically, “ he said, adding that these capsules are an immune booster and an excellent adaptogen for modern stress related problems and for patients suffering from recurrent attacks of common cold and fever. It also helps geriatric related problems, said Dr Ballal.