Lord Krishna and the Bakul tree

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Lord Krishna and the Bakul tree

Bakul flowers photographed in Hyderabad
Discussed species The Bakul tree, Mimusops elengi, बकुल
Description Mimusops elengi is a medium-sized evergreen tree found in tropical forests in South Asia, Southeast Asia, and Northern Australia. Its timber is valuable, the fruit is edible, and it has traditional medicinal uses.

The flowers of Bakul have a very sweet, refreshing aroma, thus attributing to their frequent mentions in romantic contexts. The Bakul tree is mentioned frequently in the Mahabharata - Lord Krishna used to play his flute under a Bakul tree and attract the milkmaids of Vrindavan [1]. The ancient Indian sages regarded these trees as gifts from god. Bakul trees are frequently found growing at temple entrances. The bakul tree, which is considered male, is planted on the right side of the temple entrance, while the chalta tree (Dillenia indica), which is considered female, is planted on the left side. The dense canopy of the Bakul tree provides a cool shade where devotees can sit, talk, relax and meditate [2]. The Bakul flowers are used as offerings to the god.

Bakul flowers, being so aromatic, are also used in making soaps and oils. The Bakul flower extract is mixed with Sandalwood oil to make a rich, fragrant mixture[2].


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Semantic tags

Title Lord Krishna and the Bakul tree Article is on this general topic Mythological stories Author Gaurav Moghe
Specific location(s) where study was conducted Not noted General region where study was conducted Not noted State where study was conducted Pan-India
Institutional affiliation Not noted Institution located at Not noted Institution based around Not noted
Species Group Plants User ID User:Gauravm Page creation date 2011/10/21

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