Lucknow: The legendary Parijat tree that is said to belong to the Mahabharata era, will no longer fall prey to time and decay.
The National Botanical Research Institute (NBRI) has decided to clone the tree and plant three saplings in the same campus where it stands today in Kintur village in Barabanki district.
The Parijat tree, also known as a ‘wish granting tree’, had started decaying and scientists believed that vermillion and milk that was regularly offered at the roots of the tree were causing the decay. NBRI scientists had made efforts to restore the tree which was declared ‘healthy’ last year.
The NBRI began a chemical treatment and recommended that a bio-pesticide be applied on the trunk and leaves of the tree. “The base of the tree still seems affected and we have suggested ways to the forest department” said director NBRI, Prof SK Barik, who visited the site of the tree last week with a team of scientists.
The NBRI will work on cuttings and tissue culture for the project and keep its legacy alive. The institute will also conduct a molecular study to find the origin of the tree. Parijaat (Adansonia Digitata) is African species with peculiar features.
