By Amit Pal

According to Hindu tradition, ‘Vrikshayurveda’ our TRIDEV i.e. Lord Brahma, Vishnu and Mahesh are the representative of three tree species i.e. Pakar (Ficus infectoria); Peepal (Ficus religiosa) and Bargad (Ficus benghalensis) respectively. And when these three sacred species are planted combined in a same place then the combination of three species altogether is known as ‘Harishankari’.Their mythological symbol is as follows: F. benghalensis represents Lord Shiva; F. religiosa represents Lord Vishnu and F. infectoria represents Lord Brahma. Under the tutelage of “Lokbharati” members of the Hariyali Abhiyan of Lokbharati’s efforts towards protection of our environment and sustainable development of country, initiated a plantation drive especially ‘Harishankari Vriksharopan’ in villages/blocks/districts level across the country. Up to September 2026, every Panchayat of 22 districts of Uttar Pradesh have already been covered by one ‘Harishankari’ in each village and efforts are ongoing.  The Arunachal University of Studies, Arunachal Pradesh, known as the ‘Land of Rising Sun’ also took part in this ‘Hariyali Abhiyan’ in recent past and may be the first effort of its kind in the North-Eastern part of our country.

“May the unity symbolized by Harishankari (Badgad-Peepal-Pakad) inspire us to live in balance with nature and one another”.

Trees are precious gifts of nature to the human beings, if we want to avoid consequences of environmental challenges including climate change, then each and everybody should plant a tree as our Prime Minister’s effort also towards “Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam” plantation campaign which connects our youth to work together for a clean air and pollution free environment.

There are several major significant ecological as well as sacramental roles of Harishankari plantation which are as follows –

1. Sacred Rites: often tied with a sacred thread (Raksha Sutra) during plantation drives to honour local ecology and heritage.
2. Joint canopy: After a couple of years the three samplings are planted closely together so their (Badgad-Peepal-Pakad) stems merge into a single visible trunk as they mature.
3. Evergreen and Shade: unlike single deciduous trees, the mix ensures a lush green canopy year-round.
4. Wildlife Support: provides year-long shelter, nesting, and fruit sources for various local birds and insects.
5. High Oxygen Output: all three species function as massive natural carbon sinks and air purifiers.

1. Ficus benghalensis (Bargad) :

Ficus benghalensis (Bargad tree) serves a wide range of significant economic value across our traditional practices of medicines, rural crafts, timber utility and ecological services. It is highly valued for providing immense shade, generating large amounts of oxygen, and offering timber and fibre for rope and paper production.

Ficus benghalensis is the scientific name for the banyan tree (also known as the Indian banyan tree).

Plant Classification:

Kingdom: Plantae

Order: Rosales

Family: Moraceae (Mulberry family)

Genus: Ficus

Species: Ficusbenghalensis (Roxb.).

Synonyms:

Ficus banyana Oken; Ficus benghalensis var. krishnae (C. D. C.) Corner; Ficus chauvieri G. Nicholson; Ficus cotoneifolia Vahl; Ficus cotonifolia Stokes; Ficus indica L.; Ficus procera Salisb.; Ficus pubescens B. Heyne ex Roth; Ficus umbrosa Salisb.; Perula benghalensis Raf.; Urostigmabenghalense (L.) Gasp.

Vernacular Names:

Sanskrit (Vatavriksha); Hindi (Bargad); Bengali (Bat, Batbriksha); Gujarati (Vad); Kannada (Aaladamara); Marathi (Vad); Malayalam (Peroal); Tamil (Aalamaram); Telugu (Peddamarri).

Unique composition of aerial roots of Vatavirksha (Ficus benghallensis) at Howrah Botanical Garden

F. benghalensis is an evergreen, monoecious, fast-growing keystone tree species found mainly in tropical and subtropical rainforests ecosystems.  The Indian banyan tree holds immense religious importance in Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism, symbolizing eternal life, divine Trimurti representations, and spiritual enlightenment.

Significance in Hinduism –

• Abode of Gods: Hindus believed that the tree is trinity – Lord Brahma (roots), Lord Vishnu (bark/trunk), and Lord Shiva (branches).
• Vriksha Rajaya: The monk or sadhus consider that the tree is “King of Trees’ under which deep meditation takes place.
• Vat Savitri Vrata: Hindu married women worship during the annual festival to pray for the long life and well-being of their husbands, commemorating the legend of Savitri and Satyavan.

Significance in Buddhism and Jainism –

• In Theravada Buddhism, this tree is said to have been used as the tree for enlightenment, or Bodhi by the twenty fourth Buddha called "Kassapa". The sacred plant is known as "Nuga" or "Maha nuga" in Sri Lanka.
• Sacred Landscape: frequently planted near monasteries, temples, and shrines as a living symbol of spiritual continuity.
• It is the tree under which Adhinath the first Jain Tirthankara attained Kewal Gyan or spiritual enlightenment.

Cultural significance -

• F. benghalensis or Banyan tree is the National Tree of India.
• The tree is considered sacred in India, and temples are often built nearby. Due to the large size of the tree's canopy, it provides useful shade in hot climates too.

Important ecological and other socio-economic services –

• Keystone resource: produces massive crops of figs year-round, sustaining birds, bats, and primates when other food is scarce.
• Seed dispersal: Frugivores eat the figs and spread seeds across wide areas, helping regenerate other forest plants.
• Specialized mutualism: Relies on tiny fig wasps for pollination in an obligate, species-specific partnership.
• Biodiversity Hubs: Dense canopy and hollows offer nesting and roosting sites for countless insects, birds, and small mammals.
• Microclimate creation: Broad foliage and hanging roots moderate local temperature, humidity, and wind, fostering conditions for epiphytic plan communities.
• Soil Stabilization: Extensive pop-root networks anchor deep into the earth, preventing erosion along riverbanks and slopes.
• Carbon and Air Quality: Large wood biomass captures significant carbon dioxide and filters airborne dust particles.

Its widespread applications span several categories:

• Traditional and Ayurvedic Medicine: In traditional medicine systems, practically every part of the tree is utilized to treat various ailments.
• Bark and Seeds: Often used as a tonic to manage diabetes and to treat diarrhoea or dysentery.
• Aerial Roots: Sometimes chewed to strengthen teeth and gums, and the extract is used in remedies for anxiety, muscle relaxation, and skin disorders.
• Sap/Latex: Applied externally to soothe bruises, treat skin inflammation, and cure sores.

Ecology and Landscaping:

• Shade and Afforestation: With its sprawling canopy, it is one of the most effective shade providers in tropical and subtropical regions.
• Oxygen Production: It is celebrated for its high photosynthetic rate, functioning as a massive oxygen generator in urban environments.
• Soil Binding: The extensive root system prevents soil erosion and stabilizes the ground in forests and open lands.

Materials and Craft:

• Wood: While considered of lesser value for fine furniture, the aerial roots are notably strong. They are traditionally used to make poles, tool handles, and cart yokes.
• Fiber: The tree's bark yields a durable fibre frequently utilized for making ropes and manufacturing paper.

Culinary Use:

• Famine Food: The fruits (figs) are edible and can be consumed fresh or dried. Additionally, tender young leaves and even the soft, whitish aerial roots are occasionally foraged as food.

2. Ficus religiosa (Peepal) :

Ficus religiosa is grown by specialty tree plant nurseries for use as an ornamental tree, in gardens and parks in tropical and subtropical climates. Peepal trees are native to Indian subcontinent and thrive in hot, humid weather. They prefer full sunlight and can grow in all soil types, though loam is the best. While it is possible for the plant to grow indoors in a pot, it grows best outside. Young peepul needs proper nourishment. It requires full sunlight and proper watering. Sacred fig occurs naturally in submontane forest regions. 

Plant Classification:

Kingdom: Plantae (Plants)

Order: Rosales

Family: Moraceae (Fig or mulberry family)

Genus: Ficus (Fig trees)

Species: Ficusreligiosa L.

Synonyms:

Ficusabutilifolia (Large-leaved Rock Fig); Ficus altissima (Council Tree); Ficus aspera (Variegated Clown Fig); Ficus auriculata (Elephant ear fig tree); Ficus benjamina (Benjamin Fig); Ficus brusii (Highland breadfruit); Ficus capensis (Broom Cluster fig); Ficus carica (Fig Tree); Ficus citrifolia (Shortleaf Fig).

Vernacular Names: Sanskrit (Asvattha); Bengali (Asvattha); English (Wisdom tree, sacred ficus, peepal, bodhi tree); Hindi (Peepal); Malay (Avasai,Arasu); Tamil (Arasamaram, Arasu); Telugu (Ravichettu); Kannada (Ashwathamara, Arali mara); Marathi (Pimpal); Assamese (Ahot, Pippol).

F. religiosa (the peepal or Bodhi tree) is an evergreen, fast-growing tree species found inall corners of our country, which holds immense religious importance in Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism, symbolizing eternal life, divine Trimurti representations, and spiritual enlightenment.

Significance in Hinduism –

• Abode of Deities: Believed to host the holy trinity – Brahma in the roots, Vishnu in the trunk and Shiva in the leaves.
• Divine Manifestation: Lord Krishna states in the Bhagavad Gita that he is the Peepal tree among trees, and Lord Vishnu is said to have been born under or manifested as the tree.
• Worship and Rituals: Devotees perform pradakshina around the tree and tie sacred threads to seek longevity, good fortune, and the removal of planetary or malefic obstacles.

Significance in Buddhism –

• The Bodhi Tree: The specific epithet ‘religiosa’ alludes to the religious significance attached to this tree. The prince Siddhartha is said to have sat and meditated under this tree and there found enlightenment from which time he became a Buddha.
• Bhagwan Buddha attained supreme spiritual enlightenment (Bodhi) after meditating for days under a sacred F. religiosa in Bodh Gaya, Bihar.
• Pilgrimage and Reverence: The tree is planted across Buddhist monasteries globally as a symbol of the Buddha’s presence, peace, and ultimate awakening.

Significance in Jainism –

• Meditation Site: Jain’s ascetics traditionally use the cool, tranquil canopy of the sacred fig for deep meditation.
• Symbol of Purity: It represents spiritual endurance, the eternal nature of the soul, and detachment from worldly illusions.

Cultural significance -

• F.religiosa or Asavatta tree leaf is using the National Symbol for Bharat Ratna awardees.
• The tree is considered sacred in India, and temples are often built nearby. Due to the large size of the tree's canopy, it provides useful shade to all living being.
• In the Middle East, it is preferably planted as an avenue or road verge tree. In the Philippines and in Nicaragua the species is cultivated in parks and along roadsides and pavements, while in Paraguay it occurs in forests at lower elevations.
• In Thailand "Pho" trees grow everywhere, but in the wats (temples) they are revered, and usually are several hundred years old, with trunks up to 20 feet (6.1 meters) wide. As with all sacred trees in Thailand, they have a saffron cloth wrapped around the base. A yearly ritual involving the bo trees at wats is the purchasing of "maikamsii", which are "supports" that look like crutches and are placed under the spreading branches as if holding them up. The purchase money helps fund the wat, a central part of Thai life.

Important ecological and other socio-economic services -

Environment and Climate Regulation –

• High Oxygen Output: Generally, releases massive amount of oxygen, with mature trees.
• Air Purification: Capture airborne pollutants and dust particulate matter on its leaf surface areas.
• Carbon Sequestration: Helping with absorbs carbon dioxide and reduce local carbon footprint.
• Microclimate cooling: Through dense shade and transpiration of leaves lower the ambient surrounding temperature.

Soil Environmental Health –

• Erosion Control: Features a deep, robust root matrix that stabilizes riverbanks and fragile slopped soils.
• Nutrient Cycling: Drops large volumes of leaves that decompose quickly to enhance topsoil organic matter and fertility.

Support Wildlife and Biodiversity:

• Key food source: Produces abundant small figs eaten by a wide array of birds, bats, and frugivorous insects during seasonal scarcity.
• Provides nesting and roosting sites for animals and micro-organisms.
• Multiple relationships: Relies exclusively on specialized pollinator wasps for reproduction, maintaining local insect’s networks.

3. Ficus infectoria (Pakad):

Ficus infectoria (botanically classified as Ficus virens), commonly known as the White Fig or Pilkhan, is a fast-growing, semi-deciduous tree native to South and Southeast Asia. Highly valued for avenue planting and dense shade, it features glossy green leaves that emerge with a coppery tint in spring. Ficus infectoria (Roxb.) is a plant species that belongs to the Moraceae family. It is commonly known as ‘white fig’. It is a monoecious, large perennial, spreading, huge deciduous, fast-growing closely foliaceous trees. Leaves epiphytic in young stages, with a few aerial roots. Stem bark is rough, scaly and dark grey coloured. All parts of the plant are acrid, pungent and cooling.

Botanical description of plant:

Botanical name: Ficus infectoria (Roxb.).

Kingdom: Plantae (Plants).

Order: Rosales.

Family: Moraceae.

Genus: Ficus

Species: Ficusinfectoria (Roxb.).

Synonyms: Ficuslacor Buch.Ham.; Ficus lucescens Blume; Ficus virens.

Vernacular Names:

Sanskrit (Plaksha, Parkati, Suparshvaka); Hindi (Pilkhan, Pakad); Bengali (Pakar, pakur); Gujarati (Pepri); Kannada (Juvvi, Karibassari); Marathi (Bassari, Gandhaumbara); Malayalam (Cherala); Tamil (Kurugatti); Telugu (Badijuvvi, Jatti).

F. infectoriais widespread distributed in our country, viz. in Kerebilchi, Nanjungud, Mysore, Shivamogga, Mangalore, Dharwad, Hassan, Karnataka, Maharashtra, New Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Chandigarh, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Sikkim, West Bengal, Assam. Besides Indiathis species also found in Japan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Southwest China, Indochina, Northern Australia, Malaysia, Bhutan, Myanmar and Burma.

Cultural significance -

In ancient texts it has been found that Plaksha tree holds sacred and ritual value in Hinduism as part of the Pancha Valkala and through Vedic river associates.

Pancha Valkala Ingredient: Bark of the tree is an important component of the Pancha Valkala mixture – comprising five sacred fig trees used in purification rites, holy baths, and traditional fire sacrifices (Homa).

Sacred Groves: Everywhere Ficus species are panted near temples and worship sites as a symbol of protection, fertility and cosmic balance.

Vedic Geography: It is believed that in our ancient texts Plaksha tree connects to the origin point and sacred landscape of the ancient Sarasvati River.

Ecosystem Services –

Food Source: F. infectoria produces small figs that feed local bird communities, bats, and fruit eating insects.

Creation of Habitat: Having dense canopy offers safe nesting and resting spaces for diverse urban and rural fauna, even sometimes human being.

Enhancement of local Biodiversity: Plays a significant mixed forestry and reforestation pans to restore native flora.

Mitigation of Urban Microclimate –

Cooing and Shade: Having a large spreading canopy lower the local ambient heat and provide effective cover in parks and avenue.

Pollution Mitigation: Rough and large leaf surfaces catch and retain suspended dust particles helping monitor as well as clean ambient air quality.

Traditional Medicines –

Diarrhoea and Dysentery: Plant barks decoctions are used traditionally to manage digestive ailments.

Skin Care and Ulcers: Plant leaves and bark extracts help treat chronic skin disorders, wounds, and ulcers.

Blood Sugar: Having potential anti-diabetic regulatory properties.

Antimicrobial Properties: Strong inhibitory effects against bacterial and fungal strains.

Conclusions:

The event of ‘Harishankari Vriksharopan Abhiyan’ an environmental tree-planting drive (Bargad, Peepal and Pakad) is a spiritual discourse focussing on unity, nature, and sacred pledge. ‘Vriksharopan Janandolan’ campaign have been organized for the protection of our environment in all the districts, blocks, and gram panchayats of several states especially in Uttar Pradesh with the following key aspects –

Ecological Harmony: Reiterate that planting the sacred tree triad is a living commitment to clean air to our future generations as well as preserving our natural heritage.

Spiritual Unity: Its emphasizes the symbolic coming together of diverse energies.

Actionable Pledge: This programme urges everyone to not just plant but actively protect and nurture the saplings.

Therefore, take a firm vow to care for these samplings as our own, turning this “Harishankari plantation” drive into a lasting gift of Oxygen and surviving life on Earth.

(Author: Dr. Amit Pal is former Professor of Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Agriculture & Life Sciences, Arunachal University of Studies, Namsai, Arunachal Pradesh.

Mobile: +91 9451921650/7985338047; Enaill: apu13@rediffmail.com)