Elephant tree (Haatiyon ka Jaad). This banyan tree of African origin have its branches radiating out resembling the trunks of elepants. It is said to be more than 450 years old and is more than 25 meters in circumference across the trunk. The tree has two big "rooms" (natural hollow chambers)within its trunk. It is said that during old times, petty thieves were put inside these chambers inside the tree for days long as punishment. The chambers inside are tapering with pitch darkness inside and have very small opening on the "ceiling". This is now a protected monument within the "Naya Quila" of Golconda fort.
The ‘hathiyan ka jhaad’ meaning ‘The elephant tree’ is also called the baobab tree.
Residing along the boundaries of the golconda fort, is the city’s biggest tree. The birth of the tree has been dated back to more than 400years, around the same time when the Mughal Emporer Aurangzeb had attacked the fort.
The Baobab tree is not of Indian origin, possibly African origin and has a lifespan of 3000-6000years. This tree also holds medical value.
The tree is located approximately 2kms away from the main gate of the Golconda fort. The way to the tree is through narrow lanes with houses of the locals running across more than half way upto the tree.
Many of the citizens might have not seen the 500 year-old gigantic rare tree at Naya Quila near Golkonda Fort on the city outskirts. Yes. This is an oldest, tallest and a rarely seen tree in the country. The local people call it as ‘Hathiyan' tree or elephant tree, going by the size of it.
The gigantic tree with a height of 79 feet is of African origin. The trunk of the tree circumference measures of over 25 meters. The tree has a cavity of about 10'x10' space – a favourite spot for children to play. It is a good place to hide for bird watchers.
It is interesting to note and hard to believe that a large cavity in a Baobab tree in Africa houses a Catholic Church. Historians believe that it was planted by kings of the Qutub Shahi dynasty, who ruled Hyderabad region for almost 170 years (1518-1687).
Unfortunately, both the people of the twin cities and the officials concerned seem to have forgotten about this unique tree. Except for the iron fencing, nothing much is done to protect it, or promote it as a tourist spot. At a distance of about one km from the Golkonda fort's entrance, the tree stands like a lone soldier guarding the area.
The tree is said to be without leaves for a pretty long period in a year giving the impression to the passerby, as if it is dead, which is far from truth. When I had visited this tree sometime in 2002 AD, then there were no leaves. Again, after a gap of about nine years when we had gone there recently, surprisingly we found the tree with full of lush green leaves. Botanists say the tree is a great survivor and could withstand extreme famine conditions. It stores large quantities of water in its trunk. Baobab belongs to the silk cotton family and is widely seen in Africa and Australia. Africans treat it as sacred.
The tree will have large white flowers and fruits of normally one-foot-long. Both are rich in tartaric acid and vitamin-C, and boast of great medicinal value. The leaves which contain calcium, iron, proteins, lipids and phosphate are useful in the manufacture of fertilizer and soaps.
It is time that the Tourism Department should take special interest for this rare ‘Hathiyan' tree available in State capital and develop it as one of the city tourist attraction. The Archeological Survey of India under whose control the tree is being protected now has appointed a watchman, will tell many more stories about this gigantic tree. (At Raj Bhavan Bonsai garden, we found the Hathian dwarf plant of 26 years old. (1985).
The 500 year-old rare gigantic tree at Naya Quila near Golkonda Fort is of African origin and the local people call it ‘Hathiyan' or elephant tree, due to its sheer size. It has a cavity of about 10'x10' space – a favourite spot for children to play.
SCIENTIFIC INFORMATION:
- Name: Adansonia
- Family: Bombacaceae
- English Name: Baobab Tree, Monkey Bread Tree, Up-side Down Tree
- Sanskrit Name: Gaja Bala, Gorakshi, Gopali, Sarpadandi, Gandha bahula, Kasmiramlika
- Telugu: Brahma Malika, Maggimavu
- Hindi: Gorakh Amli, Kalpa Vriksh, Kalp Dev
- Tamil: Anai Puliamaram, Papparapuli, perukamaaram
- Kannada: Brahmaamlika, Maggimavu
LOCATION:
Naya Quila near Golconda Fort
How To Reach: Around 2km from Golconda Fort Main Gate
Local Name: Local people refer it as "Hathiyan Jhaad" which means "The Elephant Tree".
SIGNIFICANCE :
a) Botanical:
These trees of Bombacaceae family have the longest life span in the entire plant kingdom. The life span of the Baobab tree is 3000 - 6000 years. It reaches upto a height of 75 feet. It is also referred to as 'Botanical Monster'. An old tree stores 30,000 gallons of water in its trunk that is of significant value during the drought and famine periods. A single grown up tree supports the entire community, people, cattle and wild animals.
b)Archeological:
It stands majestically infornt of a mosque called 'Mulla Khayali's Masjid'. Built in 1569, a noted courtier, poet and well known calligraphist during the reign of 'Sultan Ibrahim Qutub Shah'.
c)Medicinal Uses:
This Baobab tree's exotic fruit has twice as much calcium as milk.
It is high in anti - oxidants, Iron and Potassium, and has 6 times the Vitamin C of an Orange.
The leaves are rich in Beta Carotene, and contain a significant amount of Amino acids.
It is used in Ayurvedic preparations to cure Diarrhoea, Dysentry, Excessive Thirst, Hyper Acidity, Hyper Hydrosis in T.B, Swellings of Skin.
d) Economic Value:
The oil is used in cosmetics.
Oil-cake can be used for feeding cattle.
The dried bark is used for the manufacturing of packing paper. Strong inner fibre from the bark is used in rope making, cordage, harness straps, strings for musical instruments, baskets, nets, snares, fishing lines and cloth.
It's timber can be used for making canoes and fishing floats.
In fact, all parts of the tree are having medicinal properties.
VEDIC REFERENCES
Kalpavriksha - As interpreted by many pundits 'A tree which survives all through the 'Kalpam'.
The life span of the trees in this genera: Adansonia is the longest 3000 - 6000 years in the entire plant kingdom.
Bhagavadgita: Purushotthama Prapthi Yoga
Sri Bhagavaanuvaacha: Urdhya moolah madhah saakha asvattham prahur avyayam
Chandamsi yasya parnani yastham veda sa vedavith - 15.1
- Meaning of Sloka: Here Lord Krishna compares the world with ASHWATHAM - that which is IMPERISHABLE (not peepal tree as interpreted commonly). This tree has the roots which are upward and branches below and with leaves as the Vedas. The person, who understands this, understands the Vedas. (This tree suits the description of the upside down tree.) It also satisfies the common version as "THE WISH FULFILLING TREE" as it provides:
- Abundant Water. It quenches the thirst of even Elephants during the drought periods. Food (from root till leaves all the parts are edible)
- Medicines: (It possesses all the basic to special healing properties.) It is used in UNANI and Ayurvedic medicinal treatments.
- Shelter: The burrows accomodate many people, animals, birds etc from sun and rain. (The one in Hyderabad has a huge burrow which supports 40 people to stand inside it.) A fully grown tree survives and supports the entire community even during extreme drought conditions.
The history of the dargah begins even before its construction, through a biography of its pir. This story becomes further embedded through the telling of Syek Iftikar, who regarded Baba Mastan his father and was incredibly close to him. The murshid-murid (teacher-disciple) bond is very close, and Sufism contains a large vocabulary for forms of spiritual inheritance and lineage. These bonds are so pure that it is difficult to discern even whether Baba Mastan was actually his biological father. Other than curious speculation, I don’t see a need to dissect this particular point. The independent reality of sacred spaces is a quality of their ethos, and thus provides no reason not to receive their truths intact.
The Baba Mastan came from Homnabad in the Bidar district of northern Karnataka in South India, was called to serve in the military, and was posted to the Pakistani border. There, he met Huzur Pirana Haussal Azam Dastagir, who would become his murshid (teacher). The Huzoor Pirana is in/from Iraq, Iran and Bokta/Mukta Sharif in Saudi Arabia. After some time, he told Mastan Baba to find a specific banyan tree in the outskirts of Hyderabad and begin building his own dargah. People would come to him for peace of mind, if they had health problems or were unhappy, and he would say, “Ok, it will be done.” Iftikar-ji recounted that Baba Mastan was very detached from worldly affairs, and this meant Iftikar-ji lived in a rented house when he was very young. At this point, tears began to shine on his face and he wiped them stoicly from his face with a handkerchief produced from his pocket. Baba Mastan used to spend a lot of time in Old City at first and then moved to the Golkonda Fort area where Iftikar-ji lived with him, then used to frequent the shrine area. Through my observations, I can see Baba Mastan’s simplistic ways in the paucity and pragmatism of what Iftikar-ji brings to the dargah most days.
In 1990, Baba Mastan miraculously intimated his own death, and began constructing a concrete mazar for his tomb. He had dodged death through nine heart attacks, but couldn’t beat the tenth. He passed away in his home in Golconda, and waves of people had come to see him that day before he was taken to a hospital in Panjagutta. Iftikar-ji demonstrated with his hand how Baba Mastan’s head lay on his arm on the ride to the hospital, where the doctors told them it was over. Iftikar-ji said he had made it easy for those following him to bury him; he had said something like, “Just place me in it. That is all you have to do.” For seven years after Baba Mastan died, his wife and Iftikar-ji’s mother, Kurabibi, tended the site and faithfully maintained the samadhi before she also passed away and was buried beside him.
The center point of the site is the samadhi, a physical symbol of the past, and a living past at that. This raises the question of what constitutes “past-ness” in the present? How does the fact that it’s still being built affect the understanding of the site’s sacredness, and both its history and livingness?
Somewhere in his narrative sequence, Iftikar-ji graciously produced an envelope of photos well documenting the urs (anniversary of death) last year, and gave us a photo of Baba Mastan framed in white garlands and staring vibrantly out of the picture. His story presented the past as both quotidian and extremely sacred. Further, this act represents another way it is kept alive and kept close to one’s person in the dargah, as well as the generosity and earnestness with which it is shared to visitors. Dr. Prasad well articulates this process when she writes, “Oral narrative, by virtue of being embedded in everyday life, captures ‘texts’ that often defy fixity, that are emergent and contextual, and whose authorship is frequently coconstructed”.
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