The Not-So-Common Trees - The Arjun tree
Sita's favouride
A tree around which a good deal of folklore abounds, the Arjun is the marutu of the Tamils and Terminalia arjuna of the botanist. In my introduction to the series, Trees of Chennai, if you recall, I mentioned that Sita was especially fascinated by the smoothness of the light whitish trunk of this tree and would take a special delight passing over it and Rama, in his distraught state of mind on the disappearance of Sita, would go to this tree and enquire of it, if Sita did not leave a word with it about her whereabouts.
Obviously a native of our land, the tree attracts a lot of attention because locals found several uses for the various parts of the tree. For example, its wood which is very hard is used in boat building, in making agricultural implements and even weaponry.
Naturally, the folk lore built around the tree compels a certain amount of reverence which is shown in the fom of rituals carried out before felling one of these trees. An Arjun tree marked for felling is propitiated through the night before the day when it is due to be axed. At dawn, on the appointed day, holy water is sprinkled on the tree, the blade of the axe is honed with butter and honey and before the wood is made ready for making the implement, it is carved into an image of religious significance.
In central India, where the Dandakaranya of Ramayan stood, the tree is most common and it is therefore considered the original home of the tree. The tribals there would have us believe that he Arjun trees represent the corporeal forum of the two sons of the king of Tree Spirits, who in an intoxicated mood were chasing some celestial maidens, without as much as not even noticing a sage passing by and in the bargain earned for themselves a curse to get transformed into Arjun trees.
The Arjun is a large evergreen tree with buttressed trunk and a spreading crown from which branches droop downward. Its bark is smooth, grey outside and flesh coloured inside, flaking off in large, flat pieces. The leaves are simple, somewhat sub opposite, oblong, dull green above and pale brown beneath. The flowers are stalkless, arranged into spikes on a much branched panicle. The fruits are ovoid or oblong with five to seven hard angles or wings, that have lines curving upwards.
The pulverised bark gives relief in symptomatic hypertension and also serves as a diuretic.
You have quite a few of these trees on the Harrington Road-Spur Tank road stretch in Chetput.
