Thanks for sharing. Good artical Madhuri On Sat, Feb 25, 2012 at 2:42 AM, Sridhar A <[email protected]> wrote:
> > http://www.deccanherald.com/content/229798/heritage-trees-have-history-their.html > > > You are here: Home <http://www.deccanherald.com/> » Mysore City > Herald<http://www.deccanherald.com/contents/255/mysore-city-herald.html> » > Heritage trees have history in their branches > Heritage trees have history in their branches > Mysore, Feb 24,2012, DHNS: > > Conservation > > *T R Sathish Kumar chronicles the history and efforts of locals to > protect a 260-year-old banyan tree on Mysore-T Narsipur road.* > > [image: Precious: The banyan tree on Mysore - T Narsipur road. DH photos]All > natural resources, flora and fauna we enjoy today actually belong to future > generations. We are mere custodians. So we have the responsibility of > conserving and handing them over to future generations, according to Hindu > culture. Spiritually, all natural resources and nature was worshipped in > original form as per Vedic traditions. There was no idol worship. > > Most of the conservation of natural resources and nature has been possible > due to religious, spiritual and cultural traditions followed by human > beings over generations. Where law failed in the process of conservation, > traditions succeeded – be it the so called civilized or tribal. > > A banyan tree at Chikkahalli, off Mysore-Tirumakudlu Narsipur road, is > over 260 years old and is being protected by villagers religiously. To > augment their efforts, the Paramparika Vruksha Rakshana Samiti, a local > organisation that comprises 30 plus environment enthusiasts in Mysore, has > been involved in protection of heritage trees. The samiti identified 10 > trees in the vicinity of the city as ‘heritage trees’ for protection and > conservation, and the banyan tree at Chikkahalli was the first to be > identified. It has also chalked out a plan to establish a ‘tree park’ at > Chikkahalli. > > Some of the trees identified by the samiti have also been accepted by the > state government as heritage trees. Incidentally, it was following the > samiti’s representation to the Western Ghats Task Force that the government > took steps to identify and conserve trees. Important among the samiti’s > list of ten trees are: > > The red silk cotton tree (Bombax Ceiba or Kempu Boorugada Mara, originally > from Africa) at Curzon Park abutting the Mysore Palace -- the sapling of > which was planted by Lord Curzon, viceroy and governor-general of India, in > 1900;The peepal tree at Manasagangotri, which is 160 years old. It is > learnt that it was worshipped by the members of the Mysore royal family – > the Wadiyars. It was in the vicinity of Jayalakshmi Vilas Mansion, > constructed for Jayalakshmi, sister of Maharaja Nalwadi Krishnaraja > Wadiyar. It is the second tree the committee tagged ‘heritage’; > > The 130-year-old tamarind tree (tamarindus indica) located near the > horticulture department, University of Mysore; > > An old ber tree (zizybhus jujuba) located on the premises of Tamil Sangham > on Vani Vilasa road. Although a big branch of this tree has broken, it is > still green; > > A 100-year-old jajuba tree in the compound of Government Senior Primary > School, opposite RTO Circle in Chamundipuram. Besides, two more trees of > over 120 years are located on the premises of two private houses. > * > Heritage trees* > > According to the list released by the Western Ghats Task Force, those > labeled heritage trees are: Adansonia digitata-Malvaceae in Bijapur taluk, > 600 years old; Adansonia digitata-Malvaceae in Bijapur taluk, 359 years > old; Tamarindus Indica (tamarind) in Devarahipparagi of Bijapur - 883 years > old; Azadirachta Indica (Bevu) at T Venkatapura in Chikkaballapur district > 200 years old; Ficus Begalensis (Alada mara) in Chickkahalli in Mysore > taluk - 260 years old; Ficus Religiosa (peepal) at Manasagangothri, Mysore > - 160 years old; Kempu boorga mara, Palace Gate, Mysore - 130 years old; > Ficus Bengalensis (Doddalada mara) - Kethohalli, Bangalore, 400 years old; > Araucaria cooki - Lalbagh, 140 years old; Pilali (Ficus Micro Corpus) - in > Banavasi of Shimoga district - 400 years old. It is noteworthy that three > trees from Mysore find place in the list. The banyan tree situated near > Varuna Tank on T Narasipur road, 12 km from Mysore and hardly five km from > Lalitha Mahal Palace, stands tall and majestic on a large plain field, > covering an area of more than an acre. It has a pleasant symmetry, its > trunks look stolid and its leaves glow with health. > > *Ramp up the tree* > > A branch almost touches the ground and makes climbing up the tree > effortless. It looks like a ramp up the tree. > > Mummadi Krishnaraja Wodeyar’s wife Devarajammanni built the tank in 1828. > She got Madeshwara Temple constructed on the banks and ensured that some > land was granted for the temple maintenance. People from neighbouring > villages use parts of this tree to treat various ailments. Many birds feed > on its fruits. The leaves of this tree are supplied for elephants that > arrive for Dasara festivities. > > The Indian Banyan or Ficus benghalensis is also the national tree of > India. Older banyan trees are characterised by their aerial prop roots that > grow into thick woody trunks which, with age, can become indistinguishable > from the main trunk. Old trees can spread out laterally using these prop > roots to cover a wide area. > > The name banyan given to F benghalensis comes from India where early > foreign travellers observed that the shade of the tree was frequented by > banias or Indian traders. > > In Gujarati banya means grocer or merchant. The Portuguese picked up the > word to refer to Hindu merchants and passed it on to the English as early > as 1599 with the same meaning. By 1634, English writers began to tell of > the banyan tree, a tree under which Hindu merchants would conduct their > business. > > *Village meeting* > > The tree provided a shaded place for a village meeting or for merchants to > sell their goods. Eventually ‘banyan’ became the name of the tree itself. > > The banyan tree at Chikkahalli has stood the test of time due to the > spiritual and religious bonding people from the villages nearby share with > it. The tree is revered as Muneshwara, an incarnation of Lord Shiva. But > there is neither an idol nor a priest. People offer pooja independently as > per their belief. > > “People can visit the place, relax or even play. But they should not wear > footwear near the designated place for Muneshwara. And they should keep the > surroundings clean,” said Siddaiah, a resident of Chikkahalli. > > -- > -- > Thanks and regards, > Sridhar > > > > >
