The Great Banyan, Ficus benghalensis in Acharya Jagadish Chandra Bose Indian Botanic Garden, Howrah, India.
The Great Banyan is a fig tree in the Botanic Garden of Howrah whose appearance resembles a sprawling forest. Its aerial roots reach downward and anchor themselves in the ground, so each lowered branch becomes a new supporting pillar.
The tree was already standing when Colonel Robert Kyd founded the garden in 1786 and was integrated into the grounds as a natural landmark. A lightning strike in 1925 destroyed the main trunk, but the root system took over the role and kept the organism alive.
The local name recalls how the tree has served for centuries as a gathering place beneath its spreading branches. Visitors can observe how the roots touch the ground and form new trunks that support the weight of the enormous crown.
A circular path allows visitors to view the tree from all sides and understand how the roots spread over time. The path runs close enough to see the structure up close without disturbing the sensitive ground.
The number of roots changes constantly as some retract and others emerge, making the tree feel like a self-renewing forest. Photographers often visit at sunrise when the light softens the shadows between the trunks.
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