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| Edited By: Radhika Raj |Source: |Updated: Nov 19, 2013, 11:17 PM IST
Radhika Raj meets some of Mumbai’s oldest citizens
Flying Foxes
If you manage to take your eyes off the enormous trunk of the Rain Tree at Rani Bagh, look skywards. The branches are packed with colonies of fruit bats or flying foxes hanging upside down or perhaps napping. The Indian flying fox, one of the largest bats, is an endangered species, found only in certain parts of the country.
The Baobab
The entrance to Rani Bagh is flanked by two massive baobab trees estimated to be between 300 to 500 years old. Hindu mythology has it that the churning of the sea by the demons and gods brought forth nine jewels; one of which was the baobab. The mythological wish-fulfilling tree, also known as ‘Kalpvriksha’, is almost extinct in India. The tree is listed as an endangered species in the Red Data Book. Barely 30 to 40 baobab trees are left in the country. During Purnima, devotees throng to Rani Bagh to tie a thread around the enormous trunk. The Bagh authorities had planted cacti around the tree to stop the practice. But the women still came, this time tying a thread around the cacti.
The Tree of Heaven
With its red chandelier-like flowers, the tree has often been described as the most beautiful tree in the world. Native to Burma, it was brought to India by Lady Amherst, wife of the governor of Myanmar.
The Cajuput
A group of children from a city NGO builds a chain around the cajuput – easily the ‘most hugged tree’ in the park. Its bark is feather-soft and is often used to stuff pillows. If toxic fumes level in the air goes up, the cajuput will shed all its leaves in protest. The tree was almost leafless a few weeks ago, but was proudly swinging a full foliage on the day of our visit.
The Rain Tree
This tree is the largest at the Bagh — it is more than 30-metres high and its shade spans an area of over 50 metres. The perfect spot for a game of hide and seek, its hollow trunk can easily fit about five little children. The Rain Tree is home to thousands of insects and plenty of birds. Most of them bed down for the night on its branches. Every morning, for a specific time, insect and bird droppings literally “rain” from the tree. Therefore the name.
