But how did this tree, steeped in folklore and scholarship, find its way onto Delhi’s streets? From the legend of the Yakshi to the first hint of winter in the air, Labanya Maitra traces the fascinating story of the Indian Devil Tree in this episode of the Culture Project.
The tree that makes Delhi smell like October
Every October, Delhi gets a little more fragrant, thanks to a tiny greenish-white flower with a rather devilish reputation. Meet Saptaparni, the tree that has inspired ghost stories, lent its wood to school blackboards and become a symbol of wisdom at Santiniketan, where Tagore’s Visva-Bharati University honours graduating students with its leaves. But how did this tree, steeped in folklore and scholarship, find its way onto Delhi’s streets? From the legend of the Yakshi to the first hint of winter in the air, Labanya Maitra traces the fascinating story of the Indian Devil Tree in this episode of the Culture Project.
