INDIAN PHYTOPANTHEON

The most important members of the Indian Phytopantheon are aswattha (peepal tree), Vata (banyan tree), bilwa (wood apple tree) and thulasi (sacred basil). Second in importance is asoka, amra (mango), amalaki (Indian gooseberry, ionola), neem, Kadali (plantain) etc. Altogether there are about thirty or so plants including trees that are being worshipped in different parts of India. Symbolically they all represent either incarnations of deities, or are considered abodes of deities. Among the trees the peepal or aswattha is the cosmic tree in the Indian culture, it is the mystic tree of India. Peepal is also the most sacred tree for the Buddhists. We also have a mystic flower. That is the lotus. This flower is not worshipped, but it is one the most widely used in worshipping all deities. More over it is also one of the most sacred for the Buddhists, for the Chinese and for the Japanese. This flower is believed to be the seat of goddesses, Lakshi and Saraswathi; and it is also the seat of Gauthama the Buddha.

As centuries passed many ceremonies and beliefs grew up around the sacred trees. In such ceremonies plants became the symbolic medium to propitiate a favorite deity for a particular purpose. When one looks at the purposes of such worship and ceremonies one gets an interesting list:

- to win fertility in women, animals and land
- for good luck, wealth, prosperity and fortune
- to drive away ghosts, evil spirits and demons
- for curing, averting or alleviating diseases
- for securing a place in heaven after death
- for getting a husband, for husband’s love affection and health
- for relieving labor pains and safe delivery
- to avoid ill luck, curse and evil influences of others
- to avert widowhood
- for good harvest and plentiful crops
- to offer oblations to ancestors for the satisfaction and blessings of the departed souls
- for immortality and to avoid ill influences and misfortune
- to satisfy souls and holy spirits that reside in trees
- for any other purpose for a happy and peaceful life.

In India there are a number of festivals associated with plants and many are observed by women for removing barrenness and for offspring, for male progeny, or for a long married life with husbands and children. Some of these ceremonies are simple and consists only of praying, lighting a lamp or tying a thread, some can be very elaborate and lasts for a few days. Perhaps the most elaborate one is the Navapatra pooja, prevalent in many parts of India, most noticeably in Bengal. Navapatra pooja forms part of Durga pooja ceremony. Here nine aspects of Durga, symbolized by nine plants are worshipped. It is believed that Durga established peace in the world by incarnating as Brahmani and she is represented by kadali (plantain) and so this is one of the nine plants. The goddess took the form of Kalika while fighting Mahishasura and she is represented by the Kachu (colocacia) plant, which is the second of the navapatrikas. Durga herself is present in Haridra (turmeric) and so this is the third plant. Durga took the form of Kartika while fighting Sumbha and Nisumbha and she is represented by Jayanthi (balloon wine or heart seed), and this becomes the fourth plant. Another aspect of Durga is Raktadantika who fought against the demon Raktabija. She is represented by Dadima (pomegranate), which is the fifth plant. It is said that Parashakti when incarnated as Parvathi, worshipped Lord Shiva with flowers of asoka and that the Lord loves this tree, and that Devi made it her abode in the aspect Sokarahitha, the remover of sorrow. So asoka becomes the sixth plant. Chamunda is another aspect of Durga emanated from the forehead of Karthyayani (an incarnation of Durga who killed the invincible demon Mahishasura) for killing the fearsome demons Chanda and Munda, and she is symbolized by the arum plant, and this forms the seventh plant. Brahma created paddy plant as the food of the humans and Lakshi, the consort of Vishnu and the goddess of prosperity dwells in this. This is the eighth plant. All these leaves are bundled together with a ninth plant, a branch of bilwa tree bearing two fruits that represent Shiva and Shakthi. This bundle is ceremoniously given bath and then dressed in red silk and with vermillion applied, decorated and placed by the side of the idol of Ganesha and worshipped as Devi Durga for nine days. Each day, an aspect of the Devi is invoked separately and pooja is offered. Navapatrika is also called Navadurga or Navavasini durga. Here each plant or leaf is collected ceremoniously, and much formalities exist in bundling them with the vine of a particular creeper known as girikarnika, in giving ceremonious bath and in dressing and decorating the goddess. Once it is decorated and placed in the altar the bundle of leaves is treated just like an idol of Durga and all offerings and poojas are offered to it. The whole festival is an elaborate one in which all people in the neighbor hood participates. Here is an example of an evolution of simple plant worship to a complex and elaborate one with lot of symbolism attached. Yet another example is the Vruksha panchayatana Puja, in which five gods (Siva, Vishnu, Surya, Ambika and Ganesha) are worshiped symbolically through the worship of five sets of plants (bilwa and drona for Shiva, aswattha and thulasi for Vishnu, karaveera and svetarka for Surya, khadira and doorva for Ganesha and ashoka and shankapushpa for Ambika.). This is a permanent set up for such worship and the set up varies with the type of deity being worshipped. For example for Shiva Panchyatana pooja, Shiva symbolized by bilwa occupies the centre. In the North-East corner Ambika (represented by asoka), in the North-West Corner Vishnu (symbolized by aswattha), in the South-West Corner Ganesha (symbolized by khadira), and in the South-West Corner Surya (represented by karaveera). In each location surrounding the tree the second plant is planted in a circle. That is drona is planted around bilwa, thulasi around aswattha, shankapushpa around asoka, svetarka around karaveera and doorva around khadira. In the Vishnu panchyatana pooja aswattha occupies the centre. This type of panchayatana set up is often seen as a common worship facility in certain villages, often associated with temples.

During the evolution of human social life family became the unit of society and the institution of marriage became an important social, or even a socio-religious event of great significance. This ceremony was subsequently imported to the plant worship by the ancients through tree marriages, which still not disappeared entirely. Perhaps India is the only place where tree marriages are celebrated, and so also the marriage between boys / girls to trees. Tree marriages are still being held, though rarely, between peepal and banyan, peepal and neem or between mango and mahua. In the last couple of years there are reports of two such events, one from Tamil Nadu and another from Kerala. In many north Indian tribal communities girls and boys are married to plants before the actual marriage, with the intention of averting any ill luck that may arise from such a marriage. A widow can marry another man only after marrying a tree, and same is the case with a man intending to marry a widow, should marry a tree before the actual marriage with the woman. The plants mainly used for such marriages are shami and arka.

I was trying to highlight certain points on the importance of tree worship in the Indian context. Of course we may be touching upon these aspects in the subsequent discussions. There are many excellent published works that give details of tree worship on a global context, and also on Indian sacred plants.

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