The
Sacred Fig (
Ficus religiosa) or
Bo-Tree (from the
Sinhala bo) is a
species of
banyan fig native to
India,
Nepal,
Sri Lanka, southwest
China and
Indochina. It is a large
dry season-
deciduous or semi-
evergreen tree up to 30
m tall and with a
trunk diameter of up to 3 m.
Typical shape of the leaf of the Ficus Religiosa
The
leaves are
cordate in shape with a distinctive extended tip; they are 10-17cm long and 8-12cm broad, with a 6-10cm petiole. The
fruit is a small fig 1-1.5cm diameter, green ripening purple.
The
Bodhi tree and the
Sri Maha Bodhi propagated from it are famous specimens of Sacred Fig. The known planting date of the latter,
288 BC, gives it the oldest verified age for any
angiosperm plant.
This plant is considered sacred by the followers of
Hinduism,
Jainism and
Buddhism, and hence the name 'Sacred Fig' was given to it.
Siddhartha Gautama is referred to have been sitting underneath a Bo-Tree when he was
enlightened (Bodhi), or "awakened" (Buddha). Thus, the Bo-Tree is well-known symbol for happiness, prosperity, longevity and good luck. Today in India, Hindu
sadhus still meditate below this tree, and in
Theravada Buddhist Southeast Asia, the tree's massive trunk is often the site of Buddhist and animist shrines.
Local names
thumb|Pipal tree at Nandan Kanan Park BhopalIt is known by a wide range of local names:
- * Burmese: ဗောဓိညောင် bo: di. njaun / bɔ́ dḭ ɲaʊ̀̃
- * Hindi: पीपल pipal (sometimes transliterated as: peepal, peepul, pippala, pimpal, etc.)
Plaksa
Plaksa is a possible Sanskrit term for the sacred fig. According to
Macdonell and
Keith (1912), it rather denotes the
wavy-leaved Fig tree (
Ficus infectoria).
In Hindu texts, the Plaksa tree is associated with the source of the
Sarasvati River. The
Skanda Purana states that the Sarasvati originates from the water pot of
Brahma and flows from Plaksa on the Himalayas. According to Vamana Purana 32.1-4, the Sarasvati was rising from the Plaksa tree (Pipal tree).
Plaksa Pra-sravana denotes the place where the Sarasvati appears. In the Rigveda Sutras, Plaksa Pra-sravana refers to the source of the Sarasvati.
Different views, aspects
