2018-03-29 Thu

The Parijat tree is considered to be a divine tree which blooms occasionally with flowers that are white on blooming and turn yellow on drying. The tree is unique in more than one aspect. It is a unisex tree which cannot be grown by a plantation of its offshoots and it does not produce either seeds or fruits.

There are a number of legends associated with this tree. The common ones are listed below:

It is believed by some that the tree originated from the ashes of Kunti.
Some say that Arjun brought this tree from the heavens and Kunti used to offer its flowers to Lord Shiva.
It is also said that Lord Krishna stole a branch of this tree from Indra’s kingdom and brought it to the earth.
In the Harivansh Puraan, the tree is referred to as a “KALPAVRIKSH”, or wish bearing tree.

Apart from these Parijat has also got medicinal properties. The juice of its leaves is bitter and saline in taste. Taking its juice is considered to be useful in the treatment of fever. Its bark, if taken as medicine is known to give relief in the swelling of lungs.

Stamp of Parijat Tree issued by the Indian Postal Department showing the tree on one stamp and the flower on the other. The face value of these stamps are 500 Paisa and 600 Paisa respectively.

Image Source: Mintage World