29 April 2025
From Buddha’s awakening in Bihar to colonial battles in Bengal, these trees have quietly stood through it all...living reminders of India’s vast past.
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1. The Bodhi Tree, Bihar – 2,500+ years This tree’s ancestor shaded Gautama Buddha during his enlightenment, 500 years before the Mauryan Empire even began. This sacred fig tree still draws pilgrims from across the world.
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2. Parijaat Tree, Uttar Pradesh – Estimated 1,000–5,000 years Said to have bloomed when the Mahabharata was unfolding, this tree is steeped in myth. And it's still flowering, centuries later!
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3. Thimmamma Marrimanu, Andhra Pradesh – 550 years This colossal banyan was already sprouting roots before Babur founded the Mughal Empire. Today, it holds a Guinness World Record for the largest tree canopy in the world.
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4. Great Banyan Tree, West Bengal – 270 years It was already growing when the Battle of Plassey (1757) unfolded nearby, ushering in British rule. Now, it stretches over 14,500 sq. metres, almost like a forest on its own.
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5. Dodda Alada Mara, Karnataka – 400 years Planted when the Wodeyars ruled Mysore, this banyan has lived through dynasties, colonialism, and independence. And it still stands, sprawling across 3 acres!
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6. Kalpavriksha, Uttarakhand – 1,200+ years Believed to be a wish-fulfilling tree, it’s over a millennium old. Locals say Adi Shankaracharya meditated here around 820 CE, and it’s still green today.
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7. Adyar Banyan Tree, Tamil Nadu – 450 years This tree had already taken root before the British even built Fort St. George. Despite storm damage, its ancient limbs still offer shade and silence at the Theosophical Society.
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