The Banyan tree, the namesake of our Fellowship, is the national tree of India. This ficus develops accessory trunks separate from its main trunk via hanging vines that then root in the ground. Its constantly expanding canopy represents eternal life, longevity, and unity, as well as serves as a community gathering space across the Indian subcontinent. Even more, it is vital for India’s ecology, housing numerous species of insects, birds, mammals, and other plants.
Now in my second year of living in India, I get excited when I stumble across a banyan tree sprawling in a park, forest, or even in confined pockets of urban spaces. These opportunities to sit under a banyan are ideal times to reflect not only on my life, but what it means to be a Banyan Fellow. I keep finding myself focusing on roots, both metaphorically and literally.
To live in a new city and work towards social impact, it is essential to deliberately build roots within the specific localized contexts. Of course, this is a long-term and constant process, one that I have only begun to journey, from conversations with my colleagues, reading the history of Telangana, or watching my neighbor’s favorite movies. Importantly, I challenge myself to always say yes: Sadar bull festival, book signings at Lamakaan, or Diwali poojas. The advice of my organization was to be “ready to learn, unlearn, [and] re-imagine,” a task I fully intend to incorporate into my fellowship year.
Equally as important, I feel to truly feel rooted in a new place, I must connect with the incredibly unique nature South India has to offer. Becoming familiar with biodiversity is one of the greatest ways to start feeling more at home and to honor our common Earth. As an avid nature lover, I have taken dozens of photographs of all the new species of plants and animals I come across. I would like to dedicate the rest of my first blog to share some of the new flora and fauna I have met.
Banyan – Putranjiva Tree Symbiosis (Lodhi Garden, New Delhi)
In this photo, a truly fascinating relationship is revealed: a Banyan tree (lighter brown) grew overtop a putranjiva tree (darker, thicker tree). During the orientation conference, the cohort explored Lodhi Gardens in New Delhi on a nature trail where Animesh Kapoor, our guide, pointed out this wonder.
As mentioned, the banyan tree is the national tree of India. The putranjiva is a revered ayurvedic medicinal tree used primarily for fertility purposes as well as its digestive, respiratory, and anti-inflammatory properties. The overlap of India’s national tree and ayurvedic tradition is a symbolic start to our year!
Sparrows! (Lodhi Garden, New Delhi | Nagole, Hyderabad)
To conclude our nature walk, Animesh provided us with kits from the Eco Roots Foundation to build sparrow nests. The common Hindi word, चिड़िया (“chidiya”), is generally used to mean small common birds. However, its original meaning was specifically for sparrows. However, due to rapid urbanization and hostile architecture, Animesh explained, the urban sparrow population drastically declined. As a cohort, we built over twenty sparrow nests designed specifically for sparrows made of wooden rings, twine, and jute coverings.
A week later, I moved to Hyderabad. My office is in the outskirts of the city in a neighborhood called Nagole. I was very excited to see on my first day of work two chirpy sparrows sitting right over our doorway.
Can you guess which is invasive? (Nagole, Hyderabad)
I recently downloaded an app called “PictureThis” which identifies plants based on photos. The app lists the plant’s distribution (native, cultivated, or invasive), toxicity to humans or animals, whether it is considered a weed, life span, care/environmental conditions, and whether the specific plant looks healthy.
These days you can find me obsessively taking photos of all the new plants I come across. The two flowers can be found just outside of my office in Hyderabad. The photo to the left has centered bright yellow flowers surrounded by electric light purple ones with broad minty green and textured leaves: the common lantana. The photo below of vibrant red flowers with yellow trim and wispy red tails is called the peacock flower and is actually part of the pea family – notice its pods in the background. Lastly, the light lavender, small flowers that almost look like satellites with white centers is called the dwarf morning glory in English.
Which is invasive? The common lantana, native to Latin America. A bit of a trick question, the peacock flower, despite its name, is also not native to India but is not considered invasive — a cultivated but controlled addition to the landscape. The dwarf morning glory, or called Vishnukrantha in India, is native to India. Notice the flower’s etymology — VISHNUkrantha — alluding to its association with Vishnu. The flower has a range of ayurvedic properties.
When exploring local biodiversity, always keep in mind that climatic conditions means plants new to you might not be indigenous to the local environment!
Best way to end my day (Nagole, Hyderabad)
The sun sets around 6 PM everyday when I am just wrapping up my work at the office. This provides the optimal opportunity to watch the sunset in a less dense neighborhood of Hyderabad: notice the Musi River to the right as well as tall palm trees and green grass intermixed with the newly constructed concrete buildings. Every evening from the office’s rooftop, I am taken aback by the incredible streaks of yellow, red, orange and pink dancing across the sky.
A journey to the largest tree in the world
Next week, I will be traveling to Kadiri, Andhra Pradesh with WASSAN to attend a Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA) training. PRAs are an approach for development planning that actively involve community members to identify, quantify, and analyze their own community.
Kadiri happens to be home to the largest tree in the world by area: a Banyan Tree called Thimmamma Marrimanu. During my time on the field, I will be able to visit this extraordinary tree. I am honored that I will spend time reflecting once again, as a Banyan Fellow underneath the largest Banyan tree in the world.
