Hello, I am an Amaltas Tree

Guess what is common between Kerala and Delhi?  Me!  My flowers are the official State flower for both!

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Not to boast, but I have some serious international reputation going as well.  Don't believe me?  You may want to check with the Royal Highness of Thailand.  Yes, no kidding.  I am both the National tree (ratchaphruek) and National flower (dok khun) of Thailand.  In fact, my yellow flowers symbolize Thai royalty. Ha, bet you did not see that coming!

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​​My fruit is a slender, cylindrical, woody pod, initially green, maturing to a dark brown or black colour.  This also carries my seeds, which can be accessed by breaking open the pod.  I am a deciduous tree, which means that I shed by leaves annually.

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In Kerala, my flowers are of ritual importance in preparation of Kani (a traditional arrangement) during the Vishu festival (Malyali New Year) which falls in the month of April.  In fact, in Kerala, it is said - monsoon arrives 45 days from the first profuse flowering of Amaltas.

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Malayalis of Kerala believe, that the first things they see upon waking up on the morning of Vishu would ensure good luck and success throughout the year.  So, obviously you want to see the right things!  Hence, on the eve of the new year, the lady of the house arranges the vishukkani - an assortment of things to be seen first thing on the morrow. Ritually included in the vishukkani are my golden yellow flowers of Kanikonna (aka Amaltas). Other traditional 'must-see' ingredients include certain cereals, gold coins, fruits, a length of cloth, and a handmade metal-alloy mirror known as valkannadi - all these arranged neatly in a brass bowl and placed in front of the image of god Krishna. Lighting brass lamps, family members seek God's blessings and open their eyes to the vishukkani. Thus my flowers are greatly sought after by Keralites during Vishu, so much so that people generously 'borrow' flowers from me on the eve of the festival. So, next time if you notice Amaltas flowers suddenly disappearing from your locality around April, you will know which of your neighbours to catch!

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My flowers are used as food by the Santhals of Bihar.

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In Laos, my golden flowers are a part of the Lao New Year celebrations, again falling in the month of April.  My flowers are used as offerings in temples and hung from homes as a sign of good luck and happiness.  You will find me frequently planted around Buddhist temples in Sri Lanka. 

 

In India, I am considered sacred and associated with Lord Vishnu, my flowers are offered to Him in temples.  I am protected and worshipped as a sacred tree ('Sthala Vriksha' or temple tree) and conserved in sacred groves in southern India.  Some temples and historical places derive their names from such trees. In the contemporary era, the importance of these trees are reiterated by doing pujas to them, and tying sacred threads and bells during days of religious importance.  According to the Ramayana, the word Sthala Vriksha is a mixture of Yakshaya Chaitya (the tree with the spirit within) and Vriksha Chaitya (the protector tree), indicating the sacred tree in each region.

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In the Tamil epic Silappadikaaram, Lord Krishna is described as playing a flute made of the laburnum pod.  

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It is believed that whenever Shiva embarks on a heroic mission, he wears garlands made of my flowers.  According to Shivamanjari, the Nayanmars - Shaivite saints of Tamil Nadu - they consider me to be an incarnation of Lord Shiva, as my flowers look like the mystic symbol 'Om'.  Therefore, they sometimes call me Omkaramalar (Om flowers) and sometimes Pranava Pushpam.  In Tamil tradition, my flowers are associated with Shiva, and offered to Him during midday puja.

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Now we come to my legendary Sanskrit name - Aragvadha aka disease killer.  In Ayurveda, my bark is extensively used in the treatment of inflammatory swellings and as a cleaning agent for ulcers and wounds. It is believed to decrease puss discharge and act as a local antiseptic.  My root is employed to treat flu, cold and skin diseases.  My fruit pulp has anti-bacterial & anti-fungal effects and is a laxative that can relieve constipation.  You are welcome!  If you are ever uptight or down-and-out, you know you have a friend who will get you out of a jam.  My flower extract displayed anti-aging properties when introduced to the human skin fibroblast and has a variety of cosmetic and nutritional applications.

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I am drought-resistant and an excellent avenue tree.  I am tolerant to atmospheric pollutants and act as a climate purifier.  When of average growth size, I give out 10 to 20 litres of water per day, through transpiration, and thus have a cooling effect on the environment.

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