Kadamba – Neolamarckia cadamba – कदंब
Everytime I see a Kadam tree, I remember this beautiful poem by Subhadra Kumari Chauhan which we used to read in school.
यह कदंब का पेड़ अगर माँ होता यमुना तीरे।
मैं भी उस पर बैठ कन्हैया बनता धीरे-धीरे।।
ले देतीं यदि मुझे बांसुरी तुम दो पैसे वाली।
किसी तरह नीची हो जाती यह कदंब की डाली।।
यह कदम्ब का पेड़ – by सुभद्रा कुमारी चौहान
Neolamarckia cadamba – Anthocephalus cadamba (Roxb) Miq. , with English common names burflower-tree, laran, and Leichhardt pine, and called Kadam locally, is an evergreen, tropical tree native to South and Southeast Asia. The genus name honors French naturalist Jean-Baptiste Lamarck. It has scented orange flowers in dense globe-shaped clusters.
The Kadam tree is highly regarded as religiously and culturally. In North India, it is associated with Lord Krishna while in the South, Goddess Parvathi. It is believed that Sri Krishna performed many of his divine acts (leelas) in Vrindavan under the canopy of Kadamba trees. The tree is also known as Haripriya, meaning God’s favorite. ‘Kadamba’ flowers are offered in temples and used in tribal festivals.
It lends its name to the ‘Kadamba Dynasty’ with Banavasi as capital, the first ruling Kingdom of Karnataka. The spring festival, ‘Kadambotsava’ is celebrated in honor of the Kadamba kingdom by the Government of Karnataka at Banavasi every year. In West Bengal and Odisha, agricultural communities celebrate the Kadam festival by planting Kadam saplings ceremoniously during the month of Bhadra.
Besides being a beautiful ornamental tree with scented golden ball like floral heads Kadamb tree has immense medicinal values, and a postal stamp has also been issued to commemorate its importance. The cadamba has the largest number of phytochemicals and secondary metabolites having pharmacological and biological properties. Plant parts are used in curing digestive disturbances, parasitic infection, high cholesterol and triglycerides, antibacterial activity, musculoskeletal diseases, fungal infections, cancer, and anti-diabetic activity and find place in ayurvedic preparations.
Source : https://starofmysore.com/kadamba-vriksha-sri-krishnas-favourite/
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