Not everyone knows that an amazing tree with the largest crown area on the planet grows in the Jagdish Chandra Bose Indian Botanical Garden, located in Haora. The 250-year-old Bengal ficus, named Great Banyan, covers an area of over one and a half hectares and has about 3,300 aerial roots that look like trunks. Many travelers cannot believe that they find themselves not in a forest, albeit a small one, but among the shoots of a single tree.
Inside such a "grove" there is a 350-meter circular path, making this place somewhat like a park under a green tent. In some places, the height of the ficus reaches 25 meters. The origin and exact age of the Great Banyan tree is a mystery, but it is known for certain that the tree has experienced many disasters during its long history. So, in 1864-1867 it was damaged by cyclones, and by 1925 its main trunk was destroyed by lightning, and then also by a fungus.
Despite the fact that the maternal trunk of the ficus had to be removed, the Great Banyan tree survived such an "operation" and continued to grow and develop. After that, it technically turned from a tree into a so-called clonal colony, that is, a group of genetically identical plants with one common root system. Over the past three decades, the area of the Great Banyan tree has expanded by almost 8100 square meters. Theoretically, a miracle tree can grow in breadth for an infinitely long time.
Arabinda Pramanik, a longtime botanical gardener, reports that the area around the Great Banyan tree is being specially cleared to provide the ficus with room for further growth. Taking care of the plant is quite difficult, so a team of 13 experts has been created for this. These workers water the tree, make sure that it does not hurt, and also "train" its roots, directing their growth in the right direction through special channels from split bamboo tubes.
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In India, Bengal ficus is a highly revered and sacred tree. Among the followers of Hinduism, he symbolizes the longevity of life and is considered one of the many reincarnations of the god of creation Brahma. In Buddhism, banyan trees are also of great importance, because, according to legend, Buddha once sat under such a tree for seven days, having achieved spiritual enlightenment. In addition, these plants are said to have healing energies.
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