e$ &eK'ffi&&&x&ffiw&ffi&m w&wwwffiKmgBwmK& ".......... "Woooosh"..,............the tree. fn Bhogvod 6itq, Lord Krishano colled peepol outside Rupo's window rustled tree his own imoge- "Ashvothqh Sorvwikshonom,,, to hug her grondmother. "I om scored informed Bontu mqmo. ore ghosts on the tree outside", she soid huge Peepol to the tree in her grondmo's "Now, I will tell you more obout the medicinol . 6rqndmq smiled ond soid, "Oh! so, did you properties of this omozing tree: if the leoves of the see ony ghost? Whot wos it doing? Did you tree sre boiled with ony oil for some time ond opplied to him"? "Nqniiiiii....., don't score me more, on the wound , the wound heols very fost", soid Bqntu ghosfs that reside in this tree, thot's momo. "Oh thot's nice, I will tell oll my friends obout so", soid Rupo in o defensive tone. this new bond qid", soid ,t4onu. Bontu momo smiled ond continued, "the most importont volue of this wonderful is nothing of such sort, these ore tree is thot, o person dying wifh snoke bite can be in foct, this peepol or therIIE Bo99 treeII EE cured ond con get life. In our villoge, the villogers to be one of the most socred trees get oll the informotion obout the snoke. its size, its Bontu, y. where ore you, species, ploce ond reqson of biting with the ond enlighten these -4g1 wood of this tree. They coll it 'peepol this importont Jodi". I am going / sqid momo on in, the e or rnq oTner Gtseoses. rsts live in peepol trees", rttonu noaaeg their heods a big sigh of relief . more..,... ffi, * t I TBffi?, -1 r\ ! I pr*r':ff15 3!! E he 3ac{'eo .q iEr:dhi) ree afi1azlng )/$ga &xperlefi ce ir: acx et::'ir*nfi-lent Irrr that is peaeef€ sc*tirir:g anil reiaxe{xl : l Botanical Na4ti: Ficsts religiosct Family: M".aieu" Sanskrit name: Ashwitha, Bodhidrum a, Pippala English Name: Sacred fig Cot..ron Names: Bodhi Tree, Peepal Tree, Sacred Tree $(i'hat are my Vernacular names? i--ir; : PiPers, PiPal iiir:,.1j: Pipal, PiPali irrr'+;i Jari, 'trirri1: l-ri : Pimpala Aracu 5{;-,rr,{ ,I;iri,:.1; : Bodhi-drumamu l'ri a I :;.r';i;:i l;: : Aray al ii" rir :rr,.ri,:.: Arali, Ashvattha iis:*r,:ali: Asbattha to 'Fictts'is the Latin word for 'Fig', the it of the tree. 'Religia-ra' refers and is 'religion' because the tree is sacred in h Hinduism and Buddhism ' is said that very frequently planted in temples ines of both faiths. It Gautam Buddha meditated and achi enlightenment under a Particular as the Bodhi Ficus religiosa tree in Bodh Gaya, Indi hich is now known was taken from Tree. Although the original tree is 288 BC; a cutting fig it and planted in a temPle in An Sri Lanka, and this sacred regarded as the is still alive today. For Hindus, the s is also sacred and tree. PeoPle female counterpart to'the banyan t is a sin to harm the and tie threads of white. red and yellow s nd it to pray for ProgenY tree beneath which Lord rewarding Parenthood. Hindus as the Vishnu was born. 'Eoclhi' or its short'fb1m'Bo' means ' i'i re *#ff+i the old Indian languagei::iP.qgpal' 1,':#i rise to English words like'PeciP *;.i:bft ;f; like'fruit-bearing tree"'Ashrvatt Indian root word "Shwa" means ' fact that Ashwatdha is the mythical and yet ever-changi Where am I found? Bihar, I am grown iiire.la ut India. hambore National Kerala and MadhYa Park in India. Ho*. do I look? n large, fast growini; i;Aee$ i,ri; Jinff= am a "tr*gia- sized tree, I have a 4.*6;lliit1i"' reading bragshes*I :,, shed my leaves in tpdds,rr+lih the6gs. flowers grow in . Mybatk,is of the longesf liv Plant part used: Bark, s, Fruits 'What are NearlyS."iCiy part of the tree can [eaves are used to feed camels and.$ tree is'ffimXh.the home to the tiny lac i ried, t used for decoratiog.: often painted {ig. trees, t q{Stfiqiats love to eat the - I many birds there is lfutl€'food, villager eats :' l well in water and is sometime! boats. h- My Medicinal Uses . .ir1l$, :=3{. My leaf is used for the as thma, cougli;*.ir lui-e A 200 year old PeePal tree in NePal diarrhoea, haematuria, earache and h acfi ili'ia.igraine, eye troubles, gastric Problems and o My leaf decoction is used as arr an:ia c for tootha&f.. o Healing and curative: MY leaves a &,+."- u laxative'd*l-d a tonic. They relieve feverish feeli .yt-die.-a1"o useful4g arresting secretion or bleeding. I.{ h cases,-about 50 m}r. of raw"fuiie of the leaves or 1 of powdeied dried leaves cari be taken with water. Heart diseases: My leaves are used the treatment of ,hear# diseases. The leaves are infused in :r at night and distilted the following morning and then in white boftles. About 15 ml of this infusion is istered thrics,.diily. It is highly effective in relieving tation of the'heart and cardiac weakness. Constipation: My leaves are dried i$,the shade and powdered' Pills are made by adding the requiied quantity of a solution of anise and, iaggery with water. ki the same way, the fruits can be dried in shade, Powdered mixed with an equal quantity of sugar. This comPound of 4to6grns, taken at bedtime with rnilk, ensures r bowel movement, the following morning. H Mumps and boils: My leaves are str@ted with ghee, warmed (mumps) over a fire and bandaged over the ffiamed part to get relief. A leaf of peepal smeared $th gh"" can be bandaged iik. *o"rn on the boil. If there is ff y prt formation, it will burst, if it is in preliminary ttaggff the growth will subside in initial stage itself. g Gynaecological problems: For ngfny vaginal diseases, a decoction from the bark is to cleanse tp€ .'ugi.,u as a wash' A decoction "r.rltoy"d 91"fut"9 from the bark of peepal antr$amarind or their freshly extracted iuice, is given as a drink for patig$ with difficult menstruationor even absence of menstruation. For pg€g.ru.ta ladies who have a tendency ot fear of abortion, si* maashaagflof La.k powder is to be given with a decoction of the rind of an This is continued 3-8 times a day for a week' My roots are even chewed to prevent gum diseases' 'Ar D& trP.