Thank you Mr Garg. Regards, Ashwini
> On 27-Feb-2016, at 8:42 PM, J.M. Garg <[email protected]> wrote: > > Wonderful write up & presentation, Ashwini ji. > >> On 27 February 2016 at 20:19, Ashwini Bhatia <[email protected]> >> wrote: >> While researching the keekars and babools in Delhi’s public parks with my >> elder brother we chanced upon a tree I had wanted to see for some time. >> While looking for the tell-tale spines of babool we found something we were >> not expecting—a Jhand (aka Khejari, Shami) tree. Consulting our Trees of >> Delhi we confirmed a few identification keys but were not certain in the >> absence of flower or fruit although my brother remembered being confused by >> seeing galls on another tree before. Another walk and another park, we found >> a tree with galls confirming one more trait of this tree. >> >> Khejari is the state tree of Rajasthan and Telangana, and the national tree >> of UAE. The tree’s survival on arid and saline soils makes it an essential >> tree of deserts where nothing else grows. The leaves make excellent fodder >> and the pods are eaten both by humans and cattle. Pradip Krishen (Trees of >> Delhi p. 277) says that the flour made from the bark of this tree saved many >> lives in the Great Rajputana Famine of 1868-69. >> >> Bishnois of Rajasthan protect this tree and started what is now known as the >> Chipko Movement in 1730 when more than 300 members of the community hugged >> Khejari trees to prevent them from being cut by the men of Maharaja of >> Jodhpur. >> >> The tree is considered sacred by many Hindus and is associated with Goddess >> Durga and Parvati. Some seals found in Mohen-Jodaro depict a female figure >> seated on this tree while a tiger nearby looks at her, perhaps the earliest >> appearance of Durga. The sanskrit name of the tree is Agnigarbha, indicating >> its association with fire. It’s believed that the primordial fire was >> created by rubbing a branch of Peepal with that of Shami (Khejari) with >> Shami placed below the Peepal. The tree provides excellent firewood and >> charcoal. Another story has it that when asura Taraka was terrorising the >> gods and could not be slain by any of them because of a boon that only the >> offsprings of the gods could kill him. Now the gods had been cursed by >> Goddess Uma that they could not have any offsprings. Agni, the god of fire, >> had escaped the curse by hiding inside the trunk of a Shami tree and his son >> Skanda finally slayed the asura and saved the gods. Ram is supposed to have >> worshipped the tree after slaying Ravan. Pandavas are also believed to have >> hidden their weapons during the thirteenth year of their exile when they >> were supposed to be incognito. (Sacred Plants of India, Nanditha Krishna & >> M. Amirthalingam, Penguin Books) >> >> >> There are several other associations and I could keep on going. Shami or >> Khejari is second in import only to Peepal and has been mentioned in ancient >> texts and symbols. It is still worshipped as a fertility tree in parts of >> Punjab (where it is known as Jhand). >> >> I am happy to share a few photos here. >> >> Prosopis cineraria—Indian Mesquite, Jhand, Shami, Khejari… >> 19-20 February, 2016 >> New Delhi >> >> <P2200377_SanchiTrip.jpg> >> <P2200378_SanchiTrip.jpg> >> <P2200380_SanchiTrip.jpg><P2200384_SanchiTrip.jpg><P2200395_SanchiTrip.jpg> >> >> Solitary spines unlike other Mesquites; >> <P2200376_SanchiTrip.jpg><P2210407_SanchiTrip.jpg> >> >> And the galls; >> <P2210404_SanchiTrip.jpg><P2210410_SanchiTrip.jpg> >> >> >> -- >> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups >> "efloraofindia" group. >> To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an >> email to [email protected]. >> To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. >> Visit this group at https://groups.google.com/group/indiantreepix. >> For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout. > > > > -- > With regards, > J.M.Garg > 'Creating awareness of Indian Flora & Fauna' > Winner of Wipro-NFS Sparrow Awards 2014 for efloraofindia. > For identification, learning, discussion & documentation of Indian Flora, > please visit/ join our Efloraofindia Google e-group (largest in the world- > more than 2500 members & 2,25,000 messages on 18.6.15) or Efloraofindia > website (with a species database of more than 11,000 species & 2,00,000 > images). > The whole world uses my Image Resource of more than a thousand species & > eight thousand images of Birds, Butterflies, Plants etc. (arranged > alphabetically & place-wise). You can also use them for free as per Creative > Commons license attached with each image. > Also author of 'A Photoguide to the Birds of Kolkata & Common Birds of India'. -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "efloraofindia" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. To post to this group, send an email to [email protected]. Visit this group at https://groups.google.com/group/indiantreepix. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.
