The tree that walks

SANTINI GOVINDAN

Of all the different trees growing in India, none perhaps is as respected by people as the great Banyan tree. This wonderful tree, which belongs to the Fig tree family, is a very special tree.

The beginnings of these trees are most unusual. The seeds of the trees are carried by birds and sometimes they drop them on top of tall palm trees. The seeds, nourished by the moisture and warmth within the host tree, quickly sprout and grow small branches. These branches grow long aerial roots that reach downwards eagerly towards the ground. Once these grasping roots reach the ground and get a firm grip in the earth, they enlarge to become strong trunks that wrap themselves firmly around the trunk of the host tree.

Banyan trees like to have lots of space in which to spread themselves out. As the tree grows and matures, new roots grow from all its branches, pushing into the ground and forming new trunks. Thus, a single tree may have dozens of trunks. One of the largest known Banyan trees is in Sri Lanka. It has 350 large trunks, and about 3,000 smaller ones. This one single tree resembles a small forest in itself, and it is impossible to tell which was the original trunk. And the tree is still growing. A magnificent Banyan tree growing at the Botanical Gardens in Calcutta is over a 100 years old, and its trunk over 13 feet in diameter. Banyan trees may grow up to a hundred feet in height. Their branches, which spread out, are thickly covered with broad, flat leaves that create a majestic and refreshing canopy of green above their trunks. The canopy of a mature Banyan may cover an area of more than 1,000 feet in diameter! A small reddish brown fruit like a fig also grows on the Banyan, but this fruit is not fit for human consumption. Many birds like mynahs, parrots and bulbuls love to feast on it however, and during the season when the Banyan is full of fruit, it is a very noisy place indeed!

Banyan trees are known as "many footed ones" and "trees that walk", because unlike other trees that have to stay rooted in one place all their lives, the Banyan tree actually moves forward slowly with every new trunk it puts out. It is always cool and shady under a Banyan tree, and because of the number of trunks it has, this tree is full of cozy, dark niches and interesting little cubby holes that house a variety of creatures. Squirrels, bats, lizards, mice and rats, snails, snakes, and all kinds of insects make their homes in Banyan trees. Egrets, owls, crows, and a variety of birds nest in the trees, which are also a favourite with monkeys who love to leap among its many twisting branches. For all these creatures, the noble and hospitable Banyan provides a safe and friendly environment.

Banyan trees are found in almost every village in India, and they are the centre of village life. Since Banyans are believed to be sacred trees, little shrines are usually built under them . Merchants, traders passing by, the village barber, and fortune teller also usually set up shop under the spreading branches of the Banyan, for it is a cool, shady spot with plenty of room for waiting customers. In fact, the Banyan tree gets its name from the Hindi word banian which means "trader."

Village schools often hold classes under Banyan trees, and meetings of the Village Council or Panchayat are also conducted there. During summer, the kind Banyan provides cool and peaceful resting place to villagers seeking to escape the searing heat of the sun. Children especially love the Banyan tree, which is a wonderful tree for climbing and sitting on, with its broad, sturdy branches. Its numerous roots that hang down like thick vines are ideal to use as a swing too.

Banyans flourish in humid, tropical climates, and are found in parts of Africa, in the Hawaiian Islands, and throughout Asia. The city of Fuzhou in China became known as the city of Banyan trees more than 900 years ago, after its Prefect or Mayor ordered people to plant them everywhere.

In Bali in Indonesia, Banyan trees are considered "elders" of the tree kingdom, and are accorded special respect. Motorists will honk if they pass a Banyan tree on the road. This honk is not an impatient one- rather it is a polite greeting to the tree. There is an enormous Banyan tree on Maui in Hawaii. This magnificent tree was brought from India in 1873, and it was only eight feet tall and had one trunk. Now, this tree is over 50 feet tall, has 12 major trunks, and covers 2/3 of an acre. During weekends, local artists display their paintings under the tree. The Banyan tree grows throughout Cambodia, and is found embedded with the stones of the ancient temples of Angkor. Cambodians believe that their history is rather like that of the Banyan tree - made up of a thousand branches intertwined together, merging the past and present, yet forever changing and growing.

The Banyan tree has always been venerated and honoured by humans, and perhaps this is because it has all the qualities we all so cherish - longevity, serenity, wisdom and resilience.

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