Page 4 - Jan-Mar 2017

FOREST FABLES

The forest is believed to be a place of magic and danger as seen in folklores and
myths. Trees are significant in many of the world’s mythologies and religion and
have often been given sacred meanings. Ancient Indian texts like the Vedas and
Puranas refer to many mythological trees.
Gurmeher Seth, Convent of Jesus and Mary, Ambala Cantt and Anushka Sood, VIID, P.K.R Jain Senior
Secondary School, Ambala
HOLy
taMaRiND taLE
tRiNity
according to a tribal story from bihar, the reason
for tamarind leaves to be small is because lord ram, To hindus, trees
lakshman and sita during their exile came to a forest with leaves in three-fold arrangement assume
that had tamarind trees. back then the tamarind had religious significance because of the holy trinity of
large, well-developed leaves. lord rama said that they brahma, Vishnu and Mahesh. it includes the trees of
were supposed to live an austere life during their exile Varuna, bilva and Mandara.
but this tree was sheltering them from rain and sun and
giving them protection from cold and hot winds. he DiviNE DEODaR
ordered lakshman to shoot at the leaves with his bow
and arrow and since then the leaves are finely divided. Deodar is considered the abode of gods. This could
have been because of the lofty height of the tree. in the
Kullu Valley people hold the tree sacred and offer iron
pieces to the gods dwelling in the trees. The hadimba
Devi temple in Manali is located in a grove of deodar
trees.

PROtEctivE MytH tEaRS aND tREES

The nomadic tribes of rajasthan tie the
leaves of bilati sij to the neck of small Poet Kalidasa makes a reference to vana-devatas or tree
children as an amulet to ward off evil eye. spirits who support Shakuntala through the ups and
downs of her life. In the Ramayana it is mentioned that
Sita was consoled in her loneliness by the
aBODE OF DEMONS Asoka tree in Lanka.

The Dandakaranya forest spread across parts DRauPaDi, tHE GODDESS OF FOREStS
of Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra and Odisha, we all know of Draupadi as the heroine of the epic
play an important role in hindu mythology. Mahabharata but there is another side to Draupadi, a
The forest is believed to be the abode of raging and fierce goddess of the forest, as mentioned in
the demon Dandak and was an important the myths of south india and rajasthan.
location in the ancient epic – the ramayana. Bhani Kaur, IV A, Global Indian International School, Noida
Naman Jain, III, Global Indian International School, Pune

Illustration by: Gurmehar Seth , XI , Convent of Jesus and
Mary, Ambala Cantt., Haryana

activity: My StORy

go to your grandparents or other elderly in your neighbourhood, Illustration by:
and ask them about a story connected with a particular tree in Nitya , X , Suditi
your area. Global Academy,
Etawah

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