One of the largest trees on record grew at the Calcutta Botanic Garden with 1,000 prop roots and covering an area of 4 acres.

The canopy of some banyans provides shade for entire villages.

Alexander the Great reportedly camped with an army of 7,000 soldiers under a banyan.

It is said that Buddha sat under the shade of a banyan for six years while he developed his philosophy of the meaning of existence.

The English name "banyan" comes from the "Banians," the Hindu merchants who set up markets in the shade of these enormous trees.

The tree symbolises the Trimurti:
Vishnu is believed to be the bark,
Brahma, the roots,
and Shiva, the branches.

Another bit of history:

An attractive shy English Lady lived her early life in Jamaica.
She met a handsome chap and went with him to a party at a rather nice Estate. During the Dance they went for a walk in the Gardens. This being during the early 50's it was no frivolous matter. Underneath a covering tree they had, I gather, a little kiss and a cuddle.

They went on to marry and have children. They lived elsewhere in the world.

Many years later, long after the Husband had died, the Lady returned with all her family to Jamaica. They went to the Estate and walked the House and Garden. Surrounded by her children and her children's children the Lady saw the Banyan Tree for the first time in some 30 years.
"Oh my gosh" she exclaimed, "how it's grown."

The Banyan tree had indeed put down new roots from its branches and hence grown new branches and new roots.
Another generation.

It was a real pleasure for me to see my Mothers face and to compare the Banyan Tree to our Family. We'd both been busy for 30 years doing the same thing. It was as if that kiss and cuddle had inspired both.

Hence my interest in Banyan Trees.

Somebody told me the world largest is in India.
Then I'm going to India I thought.

All I knew was that it was in Andra Pradesh. My research was feeble - It was only when I was in India that I realised
that the state of Andra Pradesh is larger than England ! And I was looking for 1 tree. So I went to Hydrabad, the capital of Andra Pradesh. I had a coffee that tasted like oil but I was then a lets get on with it mood and asked around where the worlds largest Banyan Tree is please.
"Straight ahead" said a waif of an old man pointing south.
He was pleased to be able to further tell me it was 100 kilometers. It checked out to be a town called Mahbubnagar.
Off I went.

After a bumpy ride down a supposedly main road I got to Mabumsnogood and I again asked where the big baynan tree was.
"Straight ahead" said the towns busy body, "In the Agricultural and Architectural College."
Quite why these two disciplines share 1 college I did no find out. But there was a good size banyan tree, However nowhere did it say that this was the world largest.

I asked around.
"No, this is not the largest - go straight ahead to Kadari." 250 kilometers

So I did. For two days. I passed Mahbumssososore.

A month or two before the monsoon Andra Pradesh is dry and hot. Riding in a monkshirt, shorts and flip-flops. I'm drinking 4 - 5 litres of water a day. Bottled water. Usually warm. The motorbike sweeps along at a steady 50 kilometers an hour - straight ahead.

I stayed one night in a good size mess of a sprawling sack-clothed smelly town. I was the only white (now sunburnt red) human; All my fellow humans in this spot on the world were deep dark small slender folk. I found the one and only Establishment selling beer. The first one went straight down. I was in "The Society of Superior Employees Club." I met the Ex-Town Planner - a contented plump gentleman. He explained to me how well he had done his job
and how he could now enjoy his final days relaxing.

I went straight ahead, now covering myself from the burning and blistering sun, on Go'Indus my motorbike.

And on I arrived in Kadari. The main local town 27 kilometers from my goal.

Now dusk, my pilgrimage could wait until the morrow. So I stayed in the Town Hotel that had Hotel Boys galore who would just walk into my room, sit down and stare at will. In India you are public property even when you have paid for privacy.

The next day I went to see the Worlds Largest Banyan Tree
Thimmamma Marrimanu.

So why is it called Thimmamma Marrimanu ?
There's a legend that goes with the tree. It's written in both Hindu and IndianEnglish on the sign below which is near the tree.

It is said that Thimmama lives on - the tree is her incarnate.

The tree covers a lot of ground but is not a dense tree - more like a little gladed wood all of its own. Before inspection I wondered if it is all actually one tree. I walked around checking that it was all interconnected. It is.

The Daughter Sector of Thimmamma Marrimanu

The tree has about 1100 props. An Indian beauracrat has had everyone of them numbered.

The Sister Sector of Thimmamma Marrimanu

The tree supports an entire ecosystem. Small lizards run up and down and around, ants nest are here there and everywhere, butterflies flutter about with gay abandon and a band of hanumanish monkeys gad about unaware of just what they guard.


The Papa Sector of Thimmamma Marrimanu

There is, as is so usual with grand trees, a little temple somewhere towards the center. It's modest and tastefully done and adds to the sense of peace one feels.


The Brother Sector of Thimmamma Marrimanu

There is a team of 7 men who maintain the tree. Here they have encased a new arial root in bamboo to protect it from damage which mainly comes from monkeys and humans swinging from them.

I can quite understand why Bhudda sat under a Banyan.
Sensible chap.

MMM


Date this article published = May 2001