Mysterious Magical Trees, Savanur

Savanur is famous for its Archaeological site, Baobab tree (Local says Dodda Hunse Mara) is one of them which is well maintained by ASI. This is the only place in the state of Karnataka or rather in whole India which boasts of having three big Baobab trees on the outskirts of the town. These are special trees with girth varying from 12.63 - 15.70 meter and height varying from 16.40 - 18.50 meters. Specialty of these trees is that they have a huge base (girth) with branches tapering at the top, giving it a bottle shape.

Parts of the tree is said to have medicinal properties. These trees are famous in different parts of the world for its medicinal use. Local people believe that the any food item kept under these trees remain fresh for long duration.

The Baobab Tree is one of the oldest trees on earth with some trees living to be over 1000 years old originally from Africa .Baobabs have massive cylindrical trunks, up to three meters across, covered with smooth, reddish-grey bark, green palmate leaves, dark brown floral buds or spectacular flowers with white petals. The large, dry fruits of the baobab contain kidney-shaped seeds within an edible pulp.

These are said to be more than 5000 years old and according to mythology Lord Krishna brought the seeds of the same from Africa and planted them here. These are planted in a triangular shape and stand together closely. The state government has put up a fence to protect the trees and a board briefly describing the history of the trees, which also gives the statistics about height and girth.

 The fruit is nutritious, possibly having more vitamin C than oranges, and exceeding the calcium content of cow's milk. The dry fruit pulp separated from seeds and fibers is eaten directly or mixed into porridge or milk, and is also known as "sour gourd" or "monkey's bread". In Malawi, the fruit pulp is used to make a nutrient-rich juice. In Zimbabwe, the fruit is known as mawuyu in the Shona language and has long been a traditional fruit. In the coastal areas of Kenya, baobab seeds are called mbuyu and are cooked with sugar, colored, and sold as a snack. Mabuyu is also the term used in Tanzania for seeds of the calabash gourd, which are prepared in a similar fashion.

BAOBAB TREES HAVE A LONG HISTORY OF PROVIDING NUTRITION AND HEALTH FOR HUMANS AND THEY ARE REVERED AS “THE TREE OF LIFE” BECAUSE OF ALL OF THE HEALING PROPERTIES OF THE FRUIT, LEAVES, SEEDS AND BARK.