'Iconic Trees of India' explores deep-rooted bond between people and trees

Iconic Trees of India

Author: S Natesh

Illustrator: Sagar Bhowmick

Publisher: Roli Books

Price: Rs 1,995     Pages: 256

  Have you ever flung your arms around a tree, rested your head on its trunk, and closed your eyes? I recommend this, especially for men who are reluctant to engage in softer recreational activities that seem threatening to their masculinity. Before hugging a tree, it is advisable to check if there is a trail of insects that might get into one’s hair or ears; otherwise, one might be in for an unforgettable experience of the avoidable kind.

 

S Natesh, author of the book Iconic Trees of India, writes about the “deep-rooted affinity between human beings and trees” that is backed by research. “People with a view of, or access to, natural environments recover faster from illness, stress and surgery, can better resist mental illness, are more affable, socially better adjusted, can manage their life affairs better and concentrate longer on difficult tasks than those who lack access to nature,” he adds.

 

The author, who taught botany at the University of Delhi, worked at the Government of India’s Department of Biotechnology and the National Institute of Immunology, and is now an honorary fellow of the Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment (ATREE), has put together a volume that will inform and delight tree lovers, botanists, geographers, environmental activists, historians, and concerned citizens. This marvellously researched book also deserves to be in school libraries and community libraries across India.

 

His initial list of 300 iconic trees was pruned down to a more manageable number of 75. For ease of reference, the book is divided into geographical sections – North, East, South and West. The trees that he has documented in this book are located in Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Sikkim, West Bengal, Assam, Nagaland, Meghalaya, Manipur, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Rajasthan, Gujarat and Maharashtra.

 

The living root bridges in the villages near Cherrapunjee, the banyan in Dandi under which M K Gandhi held prayer meetings and delivered speeches, the mulberry tree of Joshimath under which Adi Shankaracharya is said to have meditated, the chinar trees planted by Shah Jahan in Srinagar, the ber trees at the Golden Temple in Amritsar, the primavera tree planted as a memorial to Nobel Laureate CV Raman, the evergreen rayan tree in the Jain temple of Ranakpur, the mango tree planted by Parsi refugees in Sanjan, and the peepal in Bodhgaya — a descendant of the tree under which Siddhartha Gautama became the Buddha — are featured.

 

“Beyond their scenic and aesthetic value, iconic trees are historical and cultural assets and act as focal points of local traditions,” notes Natesh, whose commitment as a chronicler is admirable. He paid a visit to all the trees that find a place in this book — except three — because he wanted to study them in their natural surroundings and interact with the communities in which their lives are embedded. Desk research alone could not have produced such a heartfelt book, which is also a plea against the indiscriminate felling of trees for development projects. Sadly, the notes and references section are not available in the print edition. What appears in its place is a page with a QR code that readers are required to scan should they wish to dig in.

 

Each chapter provides the common name of the tree being profiled, its scientific name, address, and details about the latitude, longitude and altitude, before launching into its history, significance, and present condition. Sagar Bhowmick, a gifted visual artist and illustrator, has created some breathtaking paintings to accompany the beautiful prose.

 

Natesh’s gentle sense of humour and vivid imagination rescue the text from monotony. In the chapter on the double coconut palm, raised using seeds obtained from Seychelles and located inside the Acharya Jagadish Chandra Bose Indian Botanic Garden in Howrah, for instance, he writes, “Its seed is the world’s heaviest by far at almost 25 kilograms — 10 more than the checked-in baggage allowance you get when flying economy on budget airlines!” 

 

While he acknowledges that many trees are protected because of their religious associations, he also weighs in with his scientific expertise. He remarks, “Quantifying the age of trees is challenging in India. My experience during field visits has shown that local claims are highly exaggerated. Many trees — especially if they are sacred — are usually claimed to be thousands of years old.” Radiocarbon dating reveals that an African baobab tree in Kintoor, Uttar Pradesh, is 800 years old but locals believe it “was brought to earth from Indra’s celestial garden by Arjuna to fulfill his mother Kunti’s wish to worship lord Shiva with its flowers”.

 

The sweets and milk offered by devotees keen to have their wishes fulfilled, just like Kunti, did not know that these offerings would lead to fungal and bacterial infections. The tree was able to recover thanks to scientists from the National Botanical Research Institute in Lucknow who treated the trunk and leaves with chemicals and microbial biopesticides.

 

One hopes that Natesh’s labour of love will inspire numerous state-sponsored and citizen-led initiatives grounded in science to document and conserve India’s green living heritage.

 

The reviewer is a Mumbai-based writer. He is @chintanwriting on Instagram and X