After the Yellow Bombax on the last edition of TTL it is vital that I post the usual red Bombax that is mostly seen around Pune.
Here it is:
Bombax ceiba aka Kate Sawar / Shyamli/ Seemal/Silk Cotton Tree of the Malvaceae family.
A khatta-meetha take on life around me through my presbiopic eyes!
After the Yellow Bombax on the last edition of TTL it is vital that I post the usual red Bombax that is mostly seen around Pune.
Here it is:
Bombax ceiba aka Kate Sawar / Shyamli/ Seemal/Silk Cotton Tree of the Malvaceae family.
My title suggests i would be writing about some tree plantation drive.
But that is far from the truth.
Recently, our Tree lovers Whatsapp group was swamped with photos of a Yellow Seemal. Thats right ... Bombax ceiba with yellow flowers. It looked wonderful and is rare in this part of the world.
Like everyone else on the group, I too wanted to see it.
The only problem was the location was over 60kms away.
I got major FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out) when more folks visited the tree and shared the images.
Luckily for me, dear husband agreed to accompany me and he drove all the way.
I packed some sandwiches and we set off early to avoid heat. Surprisingly the road was superb and I ignored all other trees enroute. (That was on the return journey and for another post!! :-)
It was a joy to see the tree at the precise spot, standing alone and in full bloom . The road was lonely, and locals drove or walked past without a second glance. I would like to think they had already had enjoyed the blooms as flowering had been going on for a few weeks at least.
Without much ado.. here is the Yellow Seemal aka Kate Sawar in Marathi or Silk Cotton Tree.
We meet a product of this plant quite often.. we consume it often in most age groups and for some it is a prohibited joy. We have it as a treat/gift it/ relish it on the cheat day of a diet and so on...
You may have guessed.. I am referring to the Chocolate.. which is made from Cocoa beans that grow on the Theobroma cacao trees of the Sterculiaceae family.
It is an introduced species in India but seems to be very happy in our southern states where it is widely cultivated and we are now a significant producer of Cocoa beans. These images are from Munnar where it is a common sight.
The evergreen tree is well branched with shiny green leaves. Its small whitish flowers and grow directly on the trunk and thereafter it grow into a large fruit that's yellow when ripe.
Cauliflory - refers to flowers that grow directly on the trunk |
Tiny fruit visible |
A small tree that stands out in the lush green countryside |
"Ancient trees are precious. There is little else on Earth that plays host to such a rich community of life within a single living organism."
As 26th January is our Republic Day, I have a tree from a special unique place.
Its a Keekar (Acacia variety) that has its home at Longewala.
Longewala is a place near Jaisalmer in India's Rajasthan state . It is close to the international border and was witness to a fierce battle in 1971.
There is a memorial at the spot that displays captured enemy weapons, tanks etc. There is also a short film that recreates the events of December 1971 and it is shown in an actual bunker. The entire ambience gives one goosebumps and one can only salute the brave.
You can read more about it here and here.
Here is the tree.
The Keekar seems to have a twin trunk or a low first branch. That low branch has grown almost horizontally and curves for quite some distance. In fact, it has been propped up with some supports.
Support for the branch |
This image gives an idea of the horizontal curving branch. I tried to get an image without people but that was next to impossible considering the queue to see the film. |
Leaves |
Todays post has a very familiar tree but after all these years in Pune, I found an interesting practice related to it.
Its the Peepal or Ficus religiosa of the Moraceae family.
We all know it .
But at a recent Heritage Walk in Pune, we visited the Munjoba Temple which is home to a large Peepal tree. In some family traditions, whenever a boy undergoes the Thread Ceremony, the boys father first plants a Peepal tree, conducts the ceremony on the tree then for the young lad.
I havent personally seen this practice but it shows the importance of trees have in our lives. According to this article about the Peepal on the website Flowers of India, " Hindus associate the tree with the three gods Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva, Vishnu being reputed to have been born under a Peepul. Which is Vishnu himself in the form of a tree. "
Here are the images.
Here is another article about the Munjoba Temple and its Peepal tree. Do you know of any interesting practises about the Peepal?
Heritage walks are a wonderful way to know about a city - reconnect with the one we live in or just know a new city we visit.
Learn something new. Like I did about the Peepal. The same is true with Tree Walks.
Here is a link to Heritage Walks in Pune by Ayan.
Disclaimer : This is not a sponsored post! :-)
A very happy 2024 from our family to yours! Wish you all a 'tree'mendous year!!
I am joining Parul in her ThursdayTreeLove blog hop. Do head over to see fantastic trees from around the world. Better still, join in!
Here are the