Tulsi, a medicinal plant revered by Hindus, gives out oxygen during the day as well in the night, Union minister V S Singh said today.



The Minister of State for External Affairs said that Hinduism is a philosophy and not a religion, and that is a reason it remains relevant today.



"It is a philosophy of way of living and it is based on science. Whether it is Sanskrit, the mother language, or all the rituals that we follow are also based on science. It was difficult to explain in a particular time frame at that time so these became rituals.



"We have tulsi in households because it is a medicinal plant and gives out oxygen throughout day and night," Singh said.



He was speaking at an event organised by the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) where its five alumnus from different countries were awarded.



The minister said Buddhism was propagated by progenies of Emperor Ashoka and it remained dominant for centuries.



However, the revival of the "sanatan dharma" was started by the Shankarcharya of the Kanchi peeth.



Referring to the activities of ICCR, Singh said India was not an educational hub at one point of time in the history, but today it is progressing.



"We need to tell people that there is much more happening in India whether it is our Information Technology, our space programme, or various chairs of philosophy," he said.