Mammoth champa tree or the Dodda Sampige Mara (1000 years old)

[raghu ananth]

 Big Champa Tree
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 (Of the many champak tree's in our residential layout in Bangalore, somehow the tree just in front of our house is in full bloom. The milk distributing boy,  joggers of the early morning and the summer holidaying small boys and girls assemble very early in the morning to collect some flowers from our tree climbing expert - the newspaper wallah.  Religiously he takes everyday these flowers to his factory and the temple with great devotion.. Sometimes he counts more than 300 of them and says it will flower for another 10 days.
 
Then we remembered a particular age-old tree we had seen 5 years back- The 1000 year old Dodda Sampige tree (Big Champa tree) in Biligiri forest hills ! And over the next week end we were off to see it - once again )

In the thick of the Biligiri Hill ranges, which is home to the Soliga tribals, there stands a mammoth champa tree or the Dodda Sampige Mara, reported to be around 1000-1500 years old. The sheer size of the tree trunk leaves one wonderstruck. Two of the trunks have fallen between our last visit and now and they  lay near by. We have been seeing the champa tree flowering now in and around Bangalore and Mysore. But this champa tree, did not bear any flowers. A merry stream with very sweat and cool  water runs by close to this tree and the total silence that can be experienced here makes it a singularly beautiful experience for nature lovers. (The Soligas believe that on encountering wild animals like the tiger for instance, they need just pray to this tree and the tiger slinks away. )
  We were accompanied by two soliga boys (Keta and Raju) who had a wealth of information on the forest tree species -flora,fauna,  its smell, taste, use in food & medicine and even seasonal changes. 
The Dodda Sampige Mara and the sorrounding attracts birds of all kinds, for we saw the Paradise fly catcher, Emerald dove, whistling thrush, Citrine wag tail and some of the raptors fishing eagle, Crested hawk and serpant eagle  to name a few. The cicada flying insects are found all over the tree and the humming sound that they make reminds us of a well synchronised orchestra.
 
Alltogether it was an ardous trek of 20 kms, that too in this scorching summer, was worth every bit of it.
 
Thanks
Raghu
Apr 20, 2008
 
Requesting the equivalent in English, 
Michelia champaca (Fam: Magnoliaceae)
or
Bauhinia racemosa

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[J.M. Garg]

Hi, Raghu ji,

Bauhinia racemosa is ruled out as its leaves are different. It's leaves look like Michelia champaca- Golden/ Yellow/ Orange/ Fragrant Champa. That's its sc. name as per the link: http://www.careindia.in/JLR/K.Gudi.html. It is also said to flower as per the link:http://www.raahi.com/index.php?option=com_destinationfinder&Itemid=88889026&task=show&d=229&topic=to_see_and_do

 

For my Birds, Butterflies, Trees, Landscape pictures etc., visit  http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:Contributions/J.M.Garg

[J.M. Garg]

Here are extracts from Wikipedia link:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michelia_champaca

Michelia champaca is an evergreen tree, native to South Asia and Southeast Asia. It is best known and cultivated for its strongly fragrant yellow or white flowers. It is also cultivated for timber. Common names include champaka, champak or champac, champa, sampige and shamba.

The flowers are used in Southeast Asia for several purposes. They are floated in bowls of water to scent the room, as a fragrant decoration for bridal beds, and for garlands and hair ointments.

 

For learning about our trees & plants, please visit/ join Google e-group (Indiantreepix) http://groups.google.co.in/group/indiantreepix?hl=en

For my Birds, Butterflies, Trees, Landscape pictures etc., visit  http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:Contributions/J.M.Garg

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With regards,
J.M.Garg
"We often ignore the beauty around us"
For learning about our trees & plants, please visit/ join Google e-group (Indiantreepix) http://groups.google.co.in/group/indiantreepix?hl=en

[Raghu]

Update:

ATREE, Bangalore recently estimated this old Dodda Sampige tree (Big
Champa tree) in Biligiri forest to be 2700 years. Earlier, one of the
Soliga tribals had said to us " We believe the age of the tree to be
more than 1500 years."

[Dr K. Brijesh]

Raghu Ji,

Good photos

Flowers - Throughout the year.

Sanskrit - चाम्पेय, चंपक, हेमपुष्प.

Kannada - ಸಂಪಿಗೆ [ sampige].

Medicinal properties :

All the parts of the plants are used especially Bark and Flowers.

The Root Bark is beneficial in Dysmenorrhoea .

The Flowers -- Beneficial in Skin Diseases.

The Flowers made into a paste along with Gingelli oil -- Applied on
the forehead in case of Headache and Giddiness.

The Leaf juice + Honey is beneficial in Abdominal Pain.

Regards

Dr K Brijesh