In'tree'guing Inventory

Trees and shrubs play a vital role in maintaining an ecology that nurtures life and makes it habitable. In their most basic process of photosynthesis, plants absorb carbon dioxide and produce oxygen, which is crucial for the survival of all life forms. In order to help us survive, we humans have discovered a variety of ways to employ plants, such as using their wood to build shelters, creating medicinal brews, weaving garments out of their fibre, growing crops with high yields, and so on.

In India, plants are given special cultural and religious value as a way of acknowledging and embracing this connection. For example, the Peepal, also known as the Bodhi tree, is the tree under which Buddha achieved enlightenment. We can see this in the friezes and sculptures of the Buddhist stupas that record the worship of the Bodhi Tree as a symbol of enlightenment and as an iconic representation of Buddha himself.

Such portrayals of the significance of trees are consistent historically across time and faiths, as is evident in various Mughal tombs and mosques where the botanical patterns appear repeatedly.

On a day-to-day basis, Tulsi, or sacred basil, is venerated and planted in the forecourt or central courtyard of Hindu households. It is regarded as a plant of high medicinal value and is also used in religious ceremonies. One of the age-old practises of using various plants has been in traditional medicine. The mango is another celebrated plant, with mango festivals being organised in the summer to showcase the varieties of species available. The leaves of mango are also associated with auspicious symbolism and used as decorative motifs in ceremonies.