Ashwagandha or Withania Somnifera is a perennial shrub, found throughout the drier and subtropical parts of India, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, Baluchistan and Sindh. It is also distributed in the Mediterranean regions. In India, you may find it growing as weed along the roadside and waste lands. It is cultivated for its roots in Bikaner and Pilani areas of Rajasthan, Rajputana, Punjab and Manasa.