Page 7 - Jan-Mar 2017

VOl. 14 No. 1
TOWERING TREES

There are many unique trees in India and each one of them have their stories and legends!

PEEPaL
SaL
Tree: Ficus religiosa (Peepal)
Tree: Shorea robusta (Sal ) family: Moraceae
family: Dipterocarpaceae Sanskrit Name: Aśvatthah
Sanskrit Name: Shala or The Peepal tree is a deciduous
Ashwakarna tree native to india. it is also known
sal is a large deciduous tree as the bodhi tree. Peepal is very
native to india. its name sacred to the buddhists and
comes from sanskrit word hindus and is often found Illustration by: Hriju Kirti Sinshal, IX-C,
shala meaning ‘house’ and is found in Central india and near temples and monasteries. Bhatnagar Intl School, Delhi
North eastern india. The sal is used for its hard timber. gautama buddha attained
During the sarhul festival of Jharkhand, tribals celebrate enlightenment under a Peepal tree at bodh gaya in bihar.
the New Year by worshiping sal trees. in buddhist The hindus associate Peepal with the three gods brahma,
tradition, it is said that gautama buddha was born Vishnu and shiva. in Padma Purana, Vishnu took shelter in
under the sal tree. the Peepal tree.

DID YOU KNOW?
tEaK We generally don’t see any flowers on the Peepal
tree, right? But ever wondered that they might be
Tree: Tectona grandis (Teak) carrying flowers which is invisible to the naked eye.
family: Lamiaceae The Peepal is generally known as a fig tree as they
Sanskrit Name: Saka have containers that are home to tiny little flowers
which later on ripe into fruits. So fig trees have
The Teak is a large deciduous tree, which their flowers inside their containers !
darkens in colour as it ages. Teak grows
naturally in forests of Central and south
india. as Teak wood lasts a long time aMaLtaS
and is termite proof, commercially it is profitable. its bark Tree: Cassia fistula (Indian
is known to cure headaches and stomach problems. Laburnum)
Kannimara is the largest living Teak tree located within family: Fabaceae
the Parambikulam wildlife sanctuary in the Palghat Sanskrit Name: Aragvadha
District of Kerala. it is 47.5 metre tall. The bhil Tribe of
Central india worship the teak tree because they believe Amaltas is the state flower of Kerala.
it protects them from evil spirits. The cluster of bright yellow flowers
adds colour to the hills during
the drier and hotter parts of summer hence called the
MaHua ‘golden shower’. it is deciduous and shed between the

Tree: Madhuca longifolia (Butter tree) months of February and May. The bark cures dysentery
and jaundice. The flowers hold a special place in rituals.
family: Sapotaceae
Sanskrit Name: Mohwa AmAzING AmAlTAS

Mahua is a deciduous or semi-evergreen The amaltas can only reproduce with the help of
tree in Central india. its delicious and animals like jackals, bears etc. who eat its fruit. robert
nutritive flowers are a rich source of sugar, protein, Troup at Dehra Dun discovered in 1911 that the jackals
vitamins and minerals. The flower acts as an intoxicant would feed upon the fruits along with its seeds. Their
when consumed. The oil from the seed is used in making excreta contains the seeds which then germinate and
soap and the wood is used to make wooden artifacts. grow into saplings.

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