Discovering Jhenaidah- Part 2

The Biswabat of Kaliganj

The Biswabat, or the Great Banyan Tree, of Kaliganj is a natural wonder of the plant kingdom that demands to occupy a position in the Guinness Book of World Records.
This Biswabat claims to be the largest banyan tree of Asia. It sprouted some 250-300 years ago from the wall of the well of a local potter at Betholi village, located eight kilometres east of Kaliganj upazilla in Jhenaidah district.
Considering the historical significance of this banyan tree, many tourists from home and abroad visit it every year. The incredible sight of natural beauty, the endless chirping of birds and its cooling shadow fascinate visitors, who can rest there for a while in much comfort.
The branches of the tree form a canopy which protect travellers from scorching sunlight and heavy rainfall. The weather near the tree remains normal, in spite of severe cold in winter. With the passage of time, this huge tree has become smaller in size, but it still reflects its glory.  
There is a local market near the tree;  weekly haats sit every Wednesday and Saturday. Many people gather there from far away places to buy all kinds of things.
There are many myths about the history of the name ‘Biswabat of Kaliganj’. Some people call it ‘banyan tree of Suitola’, while others call it ‘banyan tree of Mollikpur’. Some even call it ‘banyan tree of Betholi’. Actually, it lies in Betholi Mouza. According to Banglapedia, the tree used to be known as ‘Suitola (Mollikpur) banyan tree’, but people have now started calling it ‘Biswabat’ _ literally meaning ‘world banyan’ _ because of its gigantic size.
Shoilo Bala Sen, wife of Naghen Sen, the tenure holder of Raygram village, was the owner of the land of this banyan tree. Later, the land went to the government. There was a kumor palli (potters’ village) under the tree. Although the mother tree has died, its off-shoots have spread over 2.08 acres as 45 different individual branches. Botanically, the banyan tree is known as ‘ficus benghalensis’, belonging to the family Moraceae. Its fruits are like small figs and red when ripe, but not edible.
Before 1982, the banyan tree at the Botanical Garden of Kolkata, India was deemed as the largest. But an investigative report in 1982 by BBC made a survey and found the banyan tree of Suitola (Mollikpur) to be the biggest of the Asian continent.
According to Wikipedia, the banyan tree at Kolkata botanical garden occupies an area of about 1.5 hectares and at present, it has 3,772 aerial roots reaching down to the ground. On the other hand, the banyan tree of Suitola is spread over 2.33 hectares. Now, it has 345 aerial roots reaching down to the ground, while 38 are hanging in the air.
The Biswabat is of dual importance _ historic and divine. From the beginning, the local Hindus have been worshipping the tree to fulfill their wishes and get remedy for incurable diseases. People from other religions also gather here with deep devotion. It is a unique shelter for birds. But it is a matter of marvel that birds do not make nests on the tree. Even, there is never found any droppings of birds or animals on the ground beneath the tree.
Locals believe that one will face trouble if they break any branch of the tree. A permanent structure for Kali Puja has been built here with the financial assistance of Gourpada Adikari and Hzarilal Adikari of  Chaprail village. Kali Puja is celebrated there with much fervour. Once, a 15-day celebration of Raash Puja was held and a fair took place on the occasion.
Due to lack of proper publicity, it’s a matter of great regret that this magnificent wonder of nature has been neglected and most people outside the southwestern region don’t even know that the largest banyan tree of Asia is located in Bangladesh!
Moreover, the existence of this historical banyan tree is being threatened due to continuous negligence, lack of maintenance and attacks by vandals.
A popular tourist spot could easily be established here by protecting the banyan tree, locals say. Many urged the authorities to take proper steps to keep the centuries-old banyan tree alive for a long, long time.
“The glory emerging from this tree will be extended widely among future generations,” an elderly villager said.

To be continued.

Discovering Jhenaidah- Part 2

The Biswabat of Kaliganj

The Biswabat, or the Great Banyan Tree, of Kaliganj is a natural wonder of the plant kingdom that demands to occupy a position in the Guinness Book of World Records. This Biswabat claims to be the largest banyan tree of Asia. It sprouted some 250-300 years ago from the wall of the well of a local potter at Betholi village, located eight kilometres east of Kaliganj upazilla in Jhenaidah district. Considering the historical significance of this banyan tree, many tourists from home and abroad visit it every year. The incredible sight of natural beauty, the endless chirping of birds and its cooling shadow fascinate visitors, who can rest there for a while in much comfort. The branches of the tree form a canopy which protect travellers from scorching sunlight and heavy rainfall. The weather near the tree remains normal, in spite of severe cold in winter. With the passage of time, this huge tree has become smaller in size, but it still reflects its glory. There is a local market near the tree; weekly haats sit every Wednesday and Saturday. Many people gather there from far away places to buy all kinds of things. There are many myths about the history of the name Biswabat of Kaliganj. Some people call it banyan tree of Suitola, while others call it banyan tree of Mollikpur. Some even call it banyan tree of Betholi. Actually, it lies in Betholi Mouza. According to Banglapedia, the tree used to be known as Suitola (Mollikpur) banyan tree, but people have now started calling it Biswabat _ literally meaning world banyan _ because of its gigantic size. Shoilo Bala Sen, wife of Naghen Sen, the tenure holder of Raygram village, was the owner of the land of this banyan tree. Later, the land went to the government. There was a kumor palli (potters village) under the tree. Although the mother tree has died, its off-shoots have spread over 2.08 acres as 45 different individual branches. Botanically, the banyan tree is known as ficus benghalensis, belonging to the family Moraceae. Its fruits are like small figs and red when ripe, but not edible. Before 1982, the banyan tree at the Botanical Garden of Kolkata, India was deemed as the largest. But an investigative report in 1982 by BBC made a survey and found the banyan tree of Suitola (Mollikpur) to be the biggest of the Asian continent. According to Wikipedia, the banyan tree at Kolkata botanical garden occupies an area of about 1.5 hectares and at present, it has 3,772 aerial roots reaching down to the ground. On the other hand, the banyan tree of Suitola is spread over 2.33 hectares. Now, it has 345 aerial roots reaching down to the ground, while 38 are hanging in the air. The Biswabat is of dual importance _ historic and divine. From the beginning, the local Hindus have been worshipping the tree to fulfill their wishes and get remedy for incurable diseases. People from other religions also gather here with deep devotion. It is a unique shelter for birds. But it is a matter of marvel that birds do not make nests on the tree. Even, there is never found any droppings of birds or animals on the ground beneath the tree. Locals believe that one will face trouble if they break any branch of the tree. A permanent structure for Kali Puja has been built here with the financial assistance of Gourpada Adikari and Hzarilal Adikari of Chaprail village. Kali Puja is celebrated there with much fervour. Once, a 15-day celebration of Raash Puja was held and a fair took place on the occasion. Due to lack of proper publicity, its a matter of great regret that this magnificent wonder of nature has been neglected and most people outside the southwestern region dont even know that the largest banyan tree of Asia is located in Bangladesh! Moreover, the existence of this historical banyan tree is being threatened due to continuous negligence, lack of maintenance and attacks by vandals. A popular tourist spot could easily be established here by protecting the banyan tree, locals say. Many urged the authorities to take proper steps to keep the centuries-old banyan tree alive for a long, long time. The glory emerging from this tree will be extended widely among future generations, an elderly villager said. To be continued.