The Great Banyan: Visiting the Record-Holding Tree in Howrah's Botanic Garden

Across the Hooghly from central Kolkata, in Shibpur in Howrah, the Acharya Jagadish Chandra Bose Indian Botanic Garden spreads across roughly 109 hectares. It is managed by the Botanical Survey of India under the central Ministry of Environment, and among its many specimens one tree draws visitors above all others.

A tree that looks like a forest

The Great Banyan, a Ficus benghalensis, is described by the Botanical Survey of India as an outstanding living legend of the garden and finds mention in the Guinness Book of World Records for its massive canopy. It is reckoned to be more than 250 years old. With its large number of aerial roots dropping from the branches and running vertically to the ground, the tree resembles a miniature forest rather than a single specimen.

The tree has survived considerable damage over its life. Accounts record that it was harmed by cyclones in the nineteenth century, and that in 1925 its main trunk had to be removed after being infected by a wood-rotting fungus. What remains is sustained by its many prop roots, which both support and nourish the spreading branches.

The wider garden

The garden itself dates to 1787, when it was established under Robert Kyd, and it holds large collections of orchids, bamboos and palms in addition to the banyan. Published visitor information lists early morning hours for walkers and separate daytime hours for general visitors.

For a day out, the garden pairs a genuinely remarkable natural landmark with quiet, shaded grounds that contrast sharply with the density of the city across the river. Visitors should check current timings and entry arrangements with the Botanical Survey of India before travelling.