Here is yet another interesting story. Once when the King of Gods, Indra, angered Lord Shiva. Shiva's anger fell as a tongue of fire into the sea, and changed into a demon. The King of the Seas, Lord Varuna, adopted this demon and named him Jalandharaa. Jalandharaa proved to be a staunch devotee of Lord Shiva. And in due course, married Kalanemi's daughter Brinda. He was also granted a boon that whenever the moment Brinda ceased to be a chaste wife, Jalandharaa would meet his doom. Jalandharaa,true to his demoniac nature, started harassing the Gods.
None could vanquish him, except his Creator, Lord Shiva. One fine day they met on the battlefield and engaged in a fiery battle, but Jalandharaa proved to be very strong. To vanquish him, Lord Vishnu disguised as Jalandharaa, spent the night with Brinda. In this way, the Asura was destroyed.
Brinda was incensed at this deception; she cursed Vishnu that in a future incarnation, he would be cruelly separated from his wife and he would live on earth as a shapeless stone. Brinda immolated herself on her husband's funeral pyre and was reborn as a tulasi plant. Since she was a staunch devotee of Vishnu, it is said that she became his wife in this birth.
The tulasi plant is revered and glorified even in today's Hindu rituals. The Madhvas, a sub sect of Hindus, consider four months in the year as very holy. These four months which span the days of August to November are known as Chathur Masyam or the four months of fasting. It is during this time that the tulasi is specially worshipped.
Usually the courtyards of Hindu houses have a special structure to house the tulasi plant. It is called the tulasi maadam It is a small structure of mud or cement and is shaped like an eight-petalled lotus or "Ashtadhalam It also has a small hollow in its front to hold an oil lamp which is lit by the lady of the house every day at twilight.
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