saraca asoca

Confederation of Indian Industry

Ashoka Tree Saraca asoca

Information sourcesFlowers of India Website

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saraca_asocahttp://www.sssbiotic.com/product/sar

aca.aspPhotography Locations

http://cenvironment.blogspot.com/2011/05/wood-pulp-is-used-as-food-

additive.html



Distribution: India, Burma and Malaya

Heights: 10-15 m tall

Evergreen

Leaf shape: oblong

Pronunciation:

Saraca (sar-AK-a)

indica (IN-dih-kuh)



Common name:

Sita Ashok, Sorrowless tree

Hindi: Sita Ashok,

Ashok

Gujarati: Ashopalava

Kannada: Achenge

Malayalam: Hemapushpam

Marathi: Jasundi

Tamil: Asogam

Telugu: Asokamu

Confederation of Indian IndustryAshoka is one of the most legendary and sacred trees of India



The ashoka tree is closely associated with

the Yakshi mythological beings.

One of the recurring elements in Indian

art, often found at gates of Buddhist and

Hindu temples, is the sculpture of a Yakshi

with her foot on the trunk and her hands

holding the branch of a flowering ashoka

tree.

As an artistic element, often the tree and

the Yakshi are subject to heavy stylization.


Mythology


In Mahkvya, or Indian

epic poetry, the ashoka

tree is mentioned in the

Ramayana in reference to

the Ashoka Vatika (garden

of Ashoka trees) where

Hanuman first meets Sita.


Mythology


Yakshis under ashoka trees were also

important in early Buddhist

monuments as a decorative element

and are found in many ancient

Buddhist archaeological sites.

The yakshi under the ashoka tree

became a standard decorative

element of Hindu Indian sculpture

and was integrated into Indian

temple architecture as salabhanjikaAshoka Tree

Saraca asoca

Mythology


Mythology

Ashoka tree is worshipped in

Chaitra, the first month of the

Hindu Calendar.

It is also associated with

Kamadeva, the Hindu god of

Love, who included an Ashoka

blossom among the five flowers

in his quiver

Ashoka TreeSaraca asoca

Confederation of Indian IndustryAshok is a Sanskrit word meaning without grief or that which gives no grief



Ashoka tree produces large bunch of sweet smelling flowers throughout the year; profuse flowering occurs from February to May

Ashoka treeSaraca asoca


Each bunch consists of a lot of small flowers that are shaped like long-tubes which open out into four oval lobes


The flowers look like the flowers of Ixora


Yellow when young, they become orange then crimson with age and from the effect of the sun's rays


Confederation of Indian IndustryIn strong contrast to these fiery blooms is the deep-green, shiny foliage.



The bark is dark brown or grey or almost black with warty surface



Crushed flowers and leaves are rubbed on the skin to get relief from skin diseases



The flowers are used in cases

like burning sensation,

dysentery, hyperdypsia, scabies

in children and inflammation.

The seeds are strengthening and

the ash of plant is good for

external application in rheum-

arthritis

In general Saraca asoca is

considered as best female tonic



A popular tree simply referred to, and also known as Ashoka tree of the unrelated genus Polyalthia longifolia(false Ashoka tree)



Thank You


saraca asoca

Documents

indian art

indian temple architecture

indian epic poetry

sorrowless tree hindi

saraca sarak

sita ashok

lot of small flowers

hindu temples