Dear Friend, There is some interesting input about the tree ,received from Col Shakti Banerjee( ex Director,WWF West Bengal and Sikkim ).you may like to go through.
Regards Col (Retd) Bimal Sarkar Mobile: 9434194942 ----- Forwarded Message ----- From: Shakti Banerjee <[email protected]> To: Col Bimal Sarkar <[email protected]> Cc: Bonani ghosh <[email protected]>; dulal pal <[email protected]> Sent: Monday, August 15, 2011 2:23 PM Subject: Re: VALMIKI : OBSERVER OF NATURE 37 You could have mentioned that Prosopis cineraria is also treated as a holy tree by the Bisnois.It is a hardy tree growing in arid areas practically living on moisture and scanty rainfall.This is the reason as to why the Bisnois have symbolised the Khejri tree in their religion alongwith the Black Bucks(Antelope cervicapra).363 Bisnois(of which69 were women) laid down their lives at a village Khejarla in Jodhpur in 1778 to protect the Khejri trees.It was the beginning of the CHIPKO movement later used by Sunderlal Bahuguna to protect trees in the Garhwal region of the Himalayas.The sacrifice was led by Amrita Beniwal(wife of Ramukhor) and her three daughters.So this tree bears a special significance.The king under whose orders his minister Girdhar Das went to cut the trees and executed the massacre was Abhay Singh of then kingdom Jodhpur Marwar. Regards Col Banerjee On Sun, Aug 14, 2011 at 8:10 PM, Col Bimal Sarkar <[email protected]> wrote: Dear Friend, > Attaching the image of 37 th member of the series.Valmiki >mentioned SHAMI in his Ramayan.This tree is mentioned in Mahabharat >also.Before entering the kingdom of Virat raj,the Pandavs hide their weapons >on a Shami tree.This tree is known as Jand in hindi.In Rajasthan it is known >as Khejri.Scientifically it is known as Prosopis cineraria.The pods of this >tree is eaten as a vegetable in Rajasthan and it is known as Sangri. > >Regards >Col (Retd) Bimal Sarkar >Mobile: 9434194942
