Ficus religiosa orsacred fig is a species offig native to theIndian subcontinent[2] andIndochina[3] that belongs toMoraceae, the fig or mulberry family. It is also known as thebodhi tree,[4]bo tree,peepul tree,[2]peepal tree,pipala tree orashvattha tree (in India and Nepal).[5] The sacred fig is considered to have a religious significance in four major religions that originated on the Indian subcontinent:Hinduism,Buddhism,Sikhism andJainism. Hindu and Jain ascetics consider the species to be sacred and often meditate under it.Gautama Buddha is believed to have attained enlightenment undera tree of this species. The sacred fig is thestate tree of the Indian states ofOdisha,[6]Bihar andHaryana.
Ficus religiosa is called asPipar Gaachhi in theMithila region. The picture of the Pipar Gaachhi is taken at campus of Durga Mandir inBanauli village ofNepal.
Ficus religiosa is a largedry season-deciduous orsemi-evergreen tree up to 30 metres (98 ft) tall and with atrunk diameter of up to 3 metres (9.8 ft). Theleaves arecordate in shape with a distinctive extendeddrip tip; they are 10–17 centimetres (3.9–6.7 in) long and 8–12 centimetres (3.1–4.7 in) broad, with a 6–10 centimetres (2.4–3.9 in)petiole. Thefruits are small figs 1–1.5 centimetres (0.39–0.59 in) in diameter, green ripening to purple.[citation needed]
F. religiosa has a lifespan ranging between 900 and 1,500 years. TheJaya Sri Maha Bodhi tree in the city ofAnuradhapura inSri Lanka is estimated to be more than 2,250 years old.[7]
FloodedFicus religiosa trunk in the muddy water of the Mekong, inLaos
Ficus religiosa suitably grows ataltitudes ranging from 10 metres (33 ft) up to 1,520 metres (4,990 ft). Due to theclimatic conditions which are prevalent throughout different heat zones, it can grow atlatitudes ranging from 30°N to 5°S. It can tolerateair temperatures ranging between 0 to 35 °C (32 to 95 °F), beyond this upper limit its growth diminishes. It grows on a widevariety of soils but preferably needs deep,alluvialsandyloam with gooddrainage. It is also found on shallow soils including rock crevices.[citation needed]
Ficus religiosa is tolerant to various climate zones (Köppen climate classification categories ofAf,Am,Aw/As,Cfa,Cwa andCsa) and various types of soils. In Paraguay the tree species occurs in forests at lower elevations, and in China the species has been reported growing at altitudes ranging from 400 to 700 metres (1,300 to 2,300 ft). In India, being anative species, it occurs both naturally in wild as well as cultivated up to altitudes of 1,520 metres (4,990 ft).[citation needed]
A young tree growing on aconcrete wall inDelhi. It is tolerant to wide variety of soils, and hence it even thrives on concrete walls having little moisture.
Unlike most epiphytic jungle figs, which encircle the stems of dicotyledonous support trees from the outside, the epiphytic bushes ofF. religiosa are not true stranglers. Instead, their roots penetrate the stem of the support tree, eventually splitting it from within.Ficus religiosa has been listed as an "environmental weed" or "naturalised weed" by the Global Compendium of Weeds (Randall, 2012). It has been assigned an invasiveness high risk score of 7 in a risk assessment prepared for the species' invasiveness inHawaii by PIER.[clarification needed] Such a high score predicts it will become a major pest in suitable climate zones. The major reasons for its invasive behaviour are its fast-growing nature, tolerance to various climate zones and soil types, reportedlifespan of over 3,000 years, and its suffocating growth habit as it often begins life as anepiphyte.[citation needed]
Painted goblet, with peepal leaf motif, from Mundigak (Afghanistan), period IV,c. 2700 BCE. Musée Guimet.
The earliest known record ofFicus religiosa in human culture is the use of peepal leaf motifs in the pottery of theHelmand culture, found atMundigak site, inKandahar, Afghanistan, dating back to third millennium BCE.[9]
The peepal tree is considered sacred by the followers ofHinduism,Jainism,Sikhism andBuddhism. In theBhagavad Gita, Krishna says, "I am the Peepal tree among the trees, Narada among the Deva Rishi (Divine sages), Bhrigu among the Sapta-Maharishis, Chitraratha among theGandharvas, And sageKapila among the Siddhas."[11] In India, the medal for the highest civilian award,Bharat Ratna, is modelled on the leaf of a Peepal tree.[12]
Gautama Buddha attainedenlightenment (bodhi) while meditating underneath aFicus religiosa. The site is in present-dayBodh Gaya in Bihar,India. The original tree was destroyed, and has been replaced several times. A branch of the original tree was rooted inAnuradhapura,Sri Lanka in 288 BCE and is known asJaya Sri Maha Bodhi; it is the oldest living human-plantedflowering plant (angiosperm) in the world.[13]
InTheravada BuddhistSoutheast Asia, the tree's massive trunk is often the site of Buddhist oranimist shrines. Not allFicus religiosa are ordinarily called aBodhi Tree. A true Bodhi Tree is traditionally considered a tree that has as its parent another Bodhi Tree, and so on, until the first Bodhi Tree, which is the tree under which Gautama is said to have gained enlightenment.[14]
Sadhus (Hindu ascetics) meditate beneath sacred fig trees, and Hindus dopradakshina (circumambulation, or meditative pacing) around the sacred fig tree as a mark of worship. Usually seven pradakshinas are done around the tree in the morning time chanting "vriksha rajye namah" (वृक्षराज्ञे नमः), meaning "salutation to the king of trees". It is claimed that the 27 stars (constellations) constituting 12 houses (rasis) and 9 planets are specifically represented precisely by 27 trees—one for each star. The Bodhi Tree is said to representPushya (Western star name γ, δ and θ Cancri in the Cancer constellation).[citation needed]
Ashwattha is the Sanskrit term forFicus religiosa. However, according to Padma Puran peepal tree is the form of Lord Vishnu along with banyan and plaksha as the form of Lord Shiva and the lord Brahma.As-
"There is no doubt that lord Viṣṇu is of the form of Aśvattha, Vaṭa is Rudra’s form, and Palāśa has taken up Brahmā’s form. Seeing, worshipping and serving them is said to remove sins. These certainly destroy grief, diseases and the wicked."
Ficus religiosa taken in early winterTypical example of aerial roots
Ficus religiosa is grown by specialty treeplant nurseries for use as anornamental tree, ingardens andparks in tropical andsubtropical climates. Peepul trees are native to Indian subcontinent and thrive in hot,humid weather. They prefer fullsunlight and can grow in allsoil types, thoughloam is the best. When planting, use soil with apH of 7 or below. While it is possible for the plant to grow indoors in a pot, it grows best outside. Young peepul needsproper nourishment. It requires full sunlight and proper watering. Sacred fig occurs naturally insubmontane forest regions.[citation needed] As with many Ficus trees, these are well suited forBonsai training.
InThailand โพ or "Pho" trees grow everywhere, but in the wats (temples) they are revered, and usually are several hundred years old, with trunks up to 20 feet (6.1 meters) wide. As with all sacred trees in Thailand, they have a saffron cloth wrapped around the base. A yearly ritual involving the bo trees at wats is the purchasing of "mai kam sii" ไม้คำ้ศริ, which are "supports" that look like crutches and are placed under the spreading branches as if holding them up. The purchase money helps fund the wat, a central part of Thai life.[citation needed]
Ficus religiosa is used intraditional medicine for about fifty types of disorders including asthma, diabetes, diarrhea, epilepsy, gastric problems, inflammatory disorders, infectious and sexual disorders.[16]
The trunk of this tree is used by farmers as a soil leveller. After seed harvesting, the rectangular trunk is connected to tractors and levels the soil.[17]
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