Baobab tree in Prayagraj is one of the Oldest Trees in India

A tree trunk would need more than a dozen people to encircle it, holding each other’s arms.

You can guess the sheer size of its trunk – it is massive and impressive.

The dome-shaped trunk is more than 20 meters high and has a height of more than 45 feet, with branches growing randomly out of the top, making the presence of the tree extremely striking, beautiful, and majestic.

The tree, Baobab (Adansonia digitata), is located in the village of Jhunsi in the Indian city of Prayagraj, extremely close to Sangam, where the Rivers Ganga and Yamuna meet, making this spot highly revered in Indian culture.

Every 12 years, the area host millions of devotees in the largest gathering of pilgrims on earth, Kumbh Mela, during which people dip in the sacred river.

Standing here, overlooking the sacred Sangam, the Baobab tree has seen millions of people seeking its shelter and many Kumbh melas over the centuries. The radiocarbon dating of the tree is about 800 years old, which makes the Prayagraj tree one of the oldest trees in India.

Interestingly, there is no fanfare around the Baobab Tree as it stands nonchalantly in an area filled with mud, with a concrete boundary wall to prevent any erosion as it stands close to the river.

The tomb of Sufi Saint Baba Shaik Taqi is a few steps away from the tree. A legend associated with this tree is that Shaik Taqi had placed his datum, a tooth-cleaning neem twig, upside down on the ground, which later developed into this tree.

Locally, the tree is also known as the Vilaiti Imli and Parijaat Tree.

Another Baobab tree, about 220 kilometres from this Prayagraj Tree, in a small village of Kintoor, is a historical legend. According to local folklore, this Kintoor tree, known locally as Parijat, was brought from heaven and is believed to be 6500 years old. You can read the story here.

The radiocarbon dating of the Prayagrah tree and the Kintoor tree was done together, authorised by the National Biodiversity Authority of India. The radiocarbon dating of the Baobab trees indicates that both trees are around 800 years old and are the oldest dated African baobabs outside Africa.