Trees of Immortality

Abstract

This chapter examines the religious world associated with banyan (Vata) trees, known for their connection with longevity and immortality. The banyan is a remarkable tree that not only propagates itself through its figlike fruit, but over time sends down aerial roots that become supportive trunks themselves; a banyan tree can have over a thousand such trucks making it virtually impervious to death. It is identified with the Akshaya Vata, the Immortal Banyan, the only individual tree ever designated with a proper noun in Hindu scriptures. Although it is associated with many gods, it is often regarded as a form of the mighty Shiva. In the summer, however, women wrap the banyan with string and worship it with food offerings in a ritual called the Vata Savitri Vrat. In this context the tree is identified with the goddess Savitri, the one able to bring the dead back to life.