Believed to be over 250 years old, the Great Banyan stands as a colossal presence, overshadowing everything around it. Revered across the country, this iconic tree holds the distinction of being India’s longest-living and largest tree.


This tree is located at Acharya Jagadish Chandra Bose Indian Botanic Garden in Shibpur, Howrah district, in northern India's West Bengal, and it was captured on August 6.


Visuals show that a sprawling banyan tree spreads across a vast area, its branches so wide and extensive that it appears like an entire forest, covering the surrounding region with dense foliage and creating a natural canopy that resembles a woodland.


Banyan trees rank among the oldest tree species on earth, often inspiring tales both uplifting and eerie throughout their long lives. With their centuries-old presence and gnarled appearance, many people find these trees exude an aura of wisdom.


In India, banyans hold a revered status. Beyond their religious significance, their ever-expanding nature symbolizes eternal life. This brings us to one extraordinary specimen, the Great Banyan Tree, renowned as the largest banyan tree globally.


Planted around 1787, the Great Banyan was officially recorded in the 1989 Guinness Book of World Records as the largest tree specimen worldwide. Covering approximately 18,918 square meters (4.67 acres), its enormous girth measures about 450 meters in circumference. Rather than resembling a single tree, it looks more like an entire forest, supported by over 3,000 prop roots that have grown over its more than 230-year history.


Belonging to the species Ficus benghalensis, this tree has withstood severe storms in 1864, 1867, and 2020, as well as lightning strikes. In 1925, its original main trunk was removed due to decay, preserving the rest of the sprawling structure.


The banyan produces fruits called figs or syconiums, which serve as food for many creatures such as birds, bats, and squirrels. The Great Banyan Tree itself provides shelter and habitat for numerous species.


Highly venerated, banyan trees are believed to bring prosperity and good fortune. One notable tradition is the Vat Savitri Puja, performed on the new moon (Amavasya) of the Jyeshtha month. The tree is also a symbol of wisdom and knowledge.


Originally founded in 1787 by Colonel Robert Kyd of the East India Company, the garden was intended for cultivating commercially important plants like spices, tea, and teak. It was later renamed in 2009 in honor of the eminent scientist Jagadish Chandra Bose. Little could Kyd have imagined that the strangler fig he helped nurture would grow into the world’s largest banyan tree centuries later.

There is no doubt the Great Banyan is truly remarkable, a single tree so vast it resembles a forest, standing as a magnificent natural marvel.