Introduction

The Indian Himalaya is home to more than 8,000 species of vascular plants, of which 1748 are known for their medicinal properties. Higher plants have played key roles in the lives of tribal peoples living in the Himalaya by providing forest products for both food and medicine. Dhanvantari, known as the physician of the God, is recognized as the founder of Ayurvedic medicine. Vedas, specially the Atharvaveda, mainly focus on curing the diseases through plant based remedies. Species of genus Ocimum, family Lamiaceae, are prominently known as Basil. These are local to the tropical and warm mild areas and widely found in Asia, Africa, and Central and South America. The genus Ocimum contains more than 150 species distributed throughout the tropical regions of Asia, Africa, and Central and South America. Ocimum species are a rich wellspring of essential oils, the volatile liquid of aroma compounds extracted from the leaves and flowering tops of basil.