Nice pictures BUT this is not, I repeat this is not RED SANDAL"WOOD of Ayurvedic medicine and of HINDU WORSHIP requirements... that real RED SANDALWOOD is " *Pterocarpus santalinus* A RARE TREE "...
((see these threads 1): http://groups.google.com/group/indiantreepix/browse_thread/thread/a6ee9ba9b60800d6/5a4be1ee04a683cc?lnk=gst&q=pterocarpus+#5a4be1ee04a683cc AND 2) : http://groups.google.com/group/indiantreepix/browse_thread/thread/aa78c6f0d6f0bf2e/7d94a80c2b64f2dd?lnk=gst&q=Pterocarpus+santalinus#7d94a80c2b64f2dd)) MY POINTS IN THIS DISCUSSION: 1): Its a misnomer to call *Adenanthera pavonina* , a red sandalwood ... such misnomers has helped traders cheat unwary customer who buys chunks for puja needs... 2): The wood of this tree when freshly cut is orangish reddish yellowish ... and upon exposure to air for a few days.. turns darker ie gets oxidized , and so looks browish red... but has no faint scent nor the proper energy levels that the real red chandan displays... those of you who are spiritually inclined and know how to measure spiritual energy of an object or person or his/her chakras can do this.. even for a chunk of sandalwood or any wood... and you can try temples, pujari s and even so called self proclaimed gurus... see if they measure up ..:-) 3): Such misnomers are damaging to our tree population… I should know... some misguided soul, a morning walker (a rich trader in south calcutta ) heard me talk of this misnomer to a bunch of my friends when we were walking on a tree id walk, about 7 years ago... in Dhakuria lakes... and a week later he sent his wife on one of these walks (***) and then a week or two later half of the tree was gone and so was that woman (*** because she was new and nobody knew her nor had referred her to us/me, I had asked who referred her.. she said her husband) .. and then .... we discovered the half of the tree gone... we lamented the fact, and we saw the cut (badly mangled ends of the "cut" hacks really... we did what a bunch of middle aged women can do... we complained to the security who shrugged, we tried talking to forest dept... who gave us no response, and so we just sat near the base of the tree and sang songs and said prayers for it to heal and keep growing... (*** (never saw her again, and he reappeared for morning walks a year later) !!! )(ps dont see him now in 2011 )... PS The tree has survivied and is growing, though lopsided) 4): SO THE QUESTION IS HOW TO GET RID OF SUCH MISNOMERS FROM OUR MIDST and LANGUAGE???? 5): Its a popular tree to plant in Calcutta... there are several by the Iskon temple in central office area near camac street, south calcutta suburbs have several, and now one of my neighbors has planted one.. just is in flowers, no seed pods just yet.. Its red seeds sprout very readily .. I'll send in the pictures of the saplings in a separate thread... 6): RAMAN : your pictures are marvelous as usual and the set is complete...almost.... usha di ======= On Jan 2, 8:25 pm, Balkar Singh <[email protected]> wrote: > Amazing Shots Raman Ji > > On Mon, Jan 2, 2012 at 12:29 PM, prasad dash <[email protected]>wrote: > > > > > > > > > > > Very nice set again Raman Ji. Especially the pods look superb in your lens. > > > Regards > > > Prasad > > > On Mon, Jan 2, 2012 at 11:02 AM, raman <[email protected]>wrote: > > >> Red Sandalwood is a timber tree. This plant is found in the wild in > >> India. Leaves are compound bipinnate, green when young, turning yellow when > >> old. The small, yellowish flower grows in dense drooping rat-tail flower > >> heads, almost like cat-tail flower-heads. Fruits are curved, hanging, green > >> pods that turn brown, coil up and split open as they ripen to reveal small > >> bright red seeds.These attractive seeds have been used as beads in > >> jewellery, leis and rosaries. They were also used in ancient India for > >> weighing gold. The seeds are curiously similar in weight. Four seeds make > >> up about one gramme. Children love the hard red seeds and few can resist > >> collecting the brightly coloured seeds usually littered under the tree. The > >> young leaves can be cooked and eaten. the wood is extremely hard and used > >> in boat-building and making furniture > > >> Raman > > > -- > > Prasad Kumar Dash > > Ecologist, Orissa, India > > email: [email protected] > > ph. 09437444241 > > -- > Regards > > Dr Balkar Singh > Head, Deptt. of Botany and Biotechnology > Arya P G College, Panipat > Haryana-132103 > 09416262964
