Plaash

• Known locally as Palash or the ‘Flame of the Forest,’ Butea monosperma stands out in South Asia’s flora.
• Revered for its fiery orange-red blooms, this tree is found across tropical and subtropical regions from India to Southeast Asia.
• The tree’s history is intertwined with colonial exploitation, ecological shifts, and modern-day horticultural practices.

• Butea monosperma is a slow-growing, dry-season deciduous tree.
• It reaches a height of 15 m, growing only a few feet annually in its youth.
• The leaves are pinnate, thick, leathery, and adapted to harsh climatic conditions.
• The tree’s flowers, in clusters or racemes, burst forth with vivid orange-red blooms, with petals shaped like a parrot’s beak.
• It is easily identifiable during its blooming season from February to April.
• The tree’s blooming is temperamental, sensitive to cold, drought, and unexpected rains.
• As Palash forests dwindled, the tree became a symbol of the fragile balance between nature, culture, and commerce.
• It bears witness to the costs of colonial exploitation and environmental disruption.

• According to ancient legend, the Palash tree originated from a falcon’s feather imbued with the mystical essence of soma.
• The Vayu Purana suggests it sprouted from the right side of Yama, the God of death.
• The tree holds dual reverence among Hindus and Buddhists, believed to be the tree under which Medhankara Buddha, the second Buddha, attained enlightenment.
• In West Bengal, the Palash tree is linked to the arrival of spring, famously immortalized in the poetry and songs of Nobel Laureate Rabindranath Tagore.
• Tagore likens the tree’s vibrant orange flowers to fire, a metaphor deeply resonating in Santiniketan, where it symbolizes spring festivities.
• The tree also lends its name to Palashi, a town known for the pivotal Battle of Plassey.
• In Jharkhand, the Palash is a symbol of beauty and resilience, earning its status as the state flower.
• Local literary works in Jharkhand describe the Palash as a forest fire, especially when it blooms after other trees have shed their leaves.
• The tree is thought to embody Agni, the God of fire and war.
• In Telangana, Palash flowers play a crucial role in the worship of Shiva during Shivaratri, where it is known as Moduga chettu.
• In Kerala, the tree is referred to as Plasu, Chamata, or Vishalnarayan, with the term “chamata” derived from “harinee,” a small piece of wood used in agnihotra fire rituals.
• The Palash tree is found in many traditional Nambudiri households, where it is used in fire ceremonies.
• Tamil Brahmins perform a daily agnihotra ritual called Samidha Dhanan, where the tree’s bark is an essential component, especially for brahmacharis in their first year of celibacy.
• The Palash flower holds an esteemed place in Sanskrit literature, symbolizing the arrival of spring and love.
• In the Gita Govinda, Jayadeva compares the blossoms to the red nails of Kamadeva, the God of love, which pierce the hearts of lovers.
• The flowers, appearing on a completely leafless tree, resemble a delicate net woven from kimsuka (Butea monosperma) flowers.
• The Palash not only marks the seasonal cycle but also resonates with human experiences of love and longing.
• Barbara Stoller Miller translates a stanza from the Gita Govinda, using “flame tree petals” for Butea monosperma blossoms:

मृगमदसौरभरभसवशंवदनवदलमालतमाले ।
युवजनहृदयविदारणमनसिजनखरुचिकिंशुकजाले ॥

“Tamala tree’s fresh leaves absorb strong scent of deer musk. 
Flame tree petals, shining nails of love, tear at young hearts. 
Gita Govinda of Jayadeva, Love Song of the Dark Lord”