A cluster of banyans that are home to seven thousand bats
A 150 foot tall araucaria tree from New Caledonia!
Gnarled and irregular trunks of ancient tamarind trees that are around 800 years old in a Devarakadu (god’s grove) near Bangalore!
A keelback snake just about to swallow its breakfast in Lalbagh.

These are extracts from Heritage Trees and Green Heritage Sites by Vijay Thiruvady, published by Bangalore Environment Trust on behalf of their project sponsors. To say that Thiruvady is a walking encyclopaedia on trees and wooded areas in and around Bangalore would not be far from the truth. However, he is not only a botanist but also a historian; a photo in one of the books shows an ancient Banyan tree which was also the one under which Cornwallis’ troops would have marched to confront Tipu Sultan.

Pic: Banyan - Hosur Road This is one of the two trees surviving from hundreds planted over 300 years ago on either side of Hosur road. Lord Cornwallis' army must have marched past these trees to confront Tipu Sultan in 1790. Height: 45 ft Spread: 20,000 sq ft Girth :25 ft (Courtesy: 'Heritage Trees' & 'Green Heritage Sites - Devarakadus, Gundutopus & Wooded Areas')

Appropriately enough, at the lush greens of the Bangalore Golf Club, Thiruvady talks about his passion and his books.

Pic: Bauhinia, Lalbagh - This climber entwines many trees and has spread over 150 feet. The climber has now developed a huge stem with a girth of over 2 feet! This climber can be found in Western Ghats and sub Himalayan tracts eastwards to Assam. (Courtesy: 'Heritage Trees' & 'Green Heritage Sites - Devarakadus, Gundutopus & Wooded Areas')

You have recently compiled the book Heritage Trees. What, according to you, defines whether a tree has heritage?

I have given the definition of ‘heritage’ in the introductory chapters of the book. Age alone cannot be the basis for a tree being termed heritage. Age, size and species contribute to the heritage status of a tree. Trees that are rare, brought from far-off places or are home to other forms of life are some other factors. Also, trees that have special significance in history or that are associated with the life of a person or commemorate an event can also be classified as heritage trees.

Having said that, I’d like to clarify the last point. During the post-Independence period, many saplings were planted by Gandhi at various places. So if you find a tree planted by Gandhi or Nehru, it may be special but certainly not heritage as there are many such plantings by them across the country.

Pic: Araucaria - Lalbagh The Heritage tree from New Caledonia stands like a sentinel towering over everything else in Lalbagh. The tree can be found near the steps of Glass House. Planted prior to 1861, it's height is 150 ft and is known to grow over 200 ft. The cones of this tree are the size of a tennis ball! (Courtesy: 'Heritage Trees' & 'Green Heritage Sites - Devarakadus, Gundutopus & Wooded Areas')

Can you tell us more about the historical trees in and around Bengaluru?

Bangalore was once a bare plateau. Some old photographs show the area as a barren land. Of course, there were many Devarakadus and Gundutopus near villages and village temples. But the actual greening of Bangalore started only after the British defeated Tipu Sultan. Ficus or rain trees that provide shade were planted on many roads that led to the city. Even now, on some roads where development has not eroded the green, you can spot Banyan trees.

Banyans are one of the most revered trees in India. Even now, in many villages, the Banyan serves as the centre of village activities. It is home to many species of birds, bats and other life forms and is also home to village shrines. So you can see that the book starts with details on heritage Banyan trees followed by other Ficus trees.

Poornima Dasharathi is a freelance writer and a travel enthusiast.

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