I n d i a . T h e  L i v i n g  A r t s

The Village – Banyan Tree

There is in India a tree whose property it is to plant itself.
It spreads out mighty arms to the earth, where in the space of a single year
the arms take root and put forth anew.

Pliny the Elder, A.D. 70

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The imagery of the civilizations of the Indus Valley reveals that at least 4,000 years ago the tree was already a symbol of the axis between the human and the divine. Large varieties of ficus trees, like bodhi and banyan, are associated with spiritual teaching and came to represent Lord Buddha and other saints of all faiths. Today, trees in village squares, at crossroads or in the courtyards of buildings shelter small shrines, wandering holy men and votive offerings of ordinary people.