A Bonsai Garden Called Kishkindha Vana

It is said that the art of Bonsai originated in Chinese village long ago. It is an art involving miniaturizing plants and growing them in pots.
Incidentally, there is a mention of a 'miniature forest' in Ramayana. It is the Kishkindha Vana developed by Dadhimukha, the maternal uncle of King Sugriva. Kiskhkindha was the name of a mountain. The word is also used to signify 'a narrow space,' 'a compact space.'
Kishkindha was also an army base during the rule of Sugriva. It was indeed a challenge for Dadhimukha, the developer of Kishkindha Vana, to keep the monkey-army from plundering his garden full of fruits, flowers and nuts. It is said that Dadhimukha developed a fascinating technique by which he could ensure that the trees did not grow so tall as to draw the attention of the monkey-army, at the same time, retain all the characteristics of those trees. It is also said that Dadhimukha's garden produced innumerable varieties of fruits and flowers throughout the year.
He had created special conditions in his garden so that the trees would bear fruits even in non-seasons. Certain parts of his garden were cool, while others were warm. Some spots had rainy atmosphere while others were misty. All in all, his forest boasted of all possible climatic conditions throughout the year. Therefore, it was no wonder that he could grow all kinds of fruits in his Garden. When Lord Hanu-man broke the news of having seen Seetha to the eargerly waiting Rama and the monkey-army, Sugriva was so pleased that he allowed the army to feast upon Dadhimukha's forest. The monkeys were astonished to find so many varieties of fruits in one place, not to mention the delight of eating non-seasonal fruits.

Indians knew Bonsai!

In addition to mythological reference to miniature gardens, there is also enough evidence to show that knowledge of miniaturizing trees was known to Indians. Look at this passage from Upavana Vinoda, an ancient treatise on gardening art:
Ishtaka chite samantaat purushanikhaate vate tarurjaatah
Vaamana eva hi dhatte phalakusumam sarva kaalamiti.
(Dig a pit, build a wall with bricks inside all around, fill it with mud and plant a vata (pipal) tree. Such a tree will remain dwarf, yield fruits and flowers throughout the year).
India is a country of multiple climates and geographical features. If one travels from southern tip to northernmost region of Kashmir and from Kuch to the evergreen forests of Assam, one can perhaps see all varieties of weather that can be seen on our planet. Indians, from ancient times, have revered trees as manifestations of the Almighty. Trees are in fact worshipped even today. Indians have been worshippers of nature since Vedic times. The tradition of nurturing and worshipping plants such as the Tulasi and banana, trees such as coconut and arecanut has been in vogue in India since centuries. It is a pity that in to-day's society, not enough attention is given to growing plants in our houses. Scarcity of free space in urban homes is also contributing to this. Still, there are people who try to grow plants wherever possible — in balconies, inside drawing room, on roof-tops etc. Some people have started developing Bonsai gardens.
Is it not wrong to curb the freely growing plant and deliberately make it dwarf? Is it not against nature? Just as it is a sin to hurt a human being, will it not be a sin if one willfully injures a plant just for the sake of art?
However, depending upon the situation, if one embarks upon a novel experiment, it need not be condemned outright. We should be open enough to appreciate its benefits. It would be equally imprudent to go to the extent of saying that this is a great art and everyone must practise it.
While teaching about plants to children and students of Botany, often the teachers take them to a botanical garden or to a nearby place to familiarise them with those plants. In a highly urbanised setting, it may sometimes be very difficult to show a tree, which grows in deep jungles. Although one has access to dedicated magazines and television channels, nothing can replace direct experience. In such circumstances, the Bonsai concept can be of great help. Bonsai technique allows us to have a miniature forest. Students of Botany can actually see a miniature tree, which is 400 years old! Just as well-maintained zoos can be great assets to a country, gardens too can be of immense value.
Bonsai technique also allows us to preserve plant species that are on the verge of becoming extinct. To develop a miniature garden of rare trees in a small area can be of great educational value. However, it should not be considered as a substitute for conserving our forests.

Audumbara leaves

There are several species of plants that can grow into becoming tall trees in wilderness, but can also grow in limited space. Plants like Audumbara (fig) and neem can be grown in a pot. These plants are known to have great therapeutic value. Aud-umbara tree has the capacity of reducing atmospheric pollution and removing toxins.
It is said that Lord Narasimha, after killing Hiranyakashipu with the help of his fingernails, was given a dressing of the juice of Audumbara leaves by Chanchu Lakshmi to relieve Him of the burning sensation in his fingers. Audumbara is known to be disinfectant also. The beneficial properties of neem is known to the entire world today. The smoke emanating by burning dried lea-ves of neem can kill microorganisms. These plants can be grown in a miniature form in every house. Performing pooja and meditation in close vicinity of certain trees is known to be highly beneficial in one's Sadhana.
We don't suggest Bonsai plants are substitutes for natural forests. Nor do we suggest that everyone should indulge in developing Bonsai Gardens. We are only suggesting that interested agencies can take up this concept as a novel way of preserving and exhibiting the vast flora of our planet in an amazingly small space. We are not much enthused about consi-dering Bonsai as a mere decorative art. We are also exploring the possibility of using for medicinal purposes, the leaves, twigs, bark, flowers and fruits that wither from these Bonsai plants.
In our Kishkindha Vana (name given to Ashrama Bonsai Garden), we have some of the most valuable plants:
lFicus microcarpa (China) lPhyllanthus myrtifolius (Malaysia) lPrimus halepensis (China) lMurraya panniculate (Malaysia) lStrophalanthus (Malaysia) lSyzygium campanulatum (Malaysia) lJuniperus formosana (China) lBougainvillea 'Scarlet Qu (China) lAcer buegerianum (China) lLagerstroemia indica (China) lCasuarina equisetifolia (Indonesia) lEhretia microphylla (China)lCamellia japonica (China) lWrightia religiosa (Malaysia) lBauhinia Kockiana (Malaysia) lPseidp, issaemda flava (Malaysia) lCitrus sinensis (Philippines) lMichelia alba (Malaysia) lPodocarpus macrophylla (China) lFicus glamorata (Malaysia) lMicrophylla koreana (Indonasia) lBreynia officinalis (Taiwan) lFicus microcarpa (China) lIxora 'Dwarf Orange' (Malaysia) lAnacardium occid-entale (Indonesia) lPachira Macrocarpa (Malaysia) lMalpighia coccigera (China) lCros-sostephium chinese (Indonesia) lPunica granatum (Indonesia) lLoropetalum chinensis (China) lBucida spp (Philippines).
The age of these Bonsai plants range from 2 to 150 years. We have also started a 'Bonsai Nursery' where we have developed Bonsai Audumbara trees.
It is said, the art of Bonsai originated in China more than two thousand years ago. However, the art made its reappearance in the third century, in the Han dynasty. But it seems that the art of cultivating miniature trees flourished in China much before this.
The word Bonsai means 'pot tree' (bon=pot or tray, sai=tree). Eventhough miniature trees were cultivated in pots in Japan in the ninth century, it was not until the thirteenth century that the art of bonsai became popular in the Japanese society. Even then, it was a hobby of the nobility and priesthood, who gave the art a spiritual character. However, by the nineteenth century, the art became popular among the masses.
While Bonsai art in the west is regarded as a leisure hobby, the oriental cultures have regarded the art with far deeper intellectual reverence. It is said that the Buddhist monks in China used the trees in the trays to establish a special link with the Almighty.
Some authorities believe that Ayurvedic medicine had great influence on traditional Chinese medicine. The travelling Chinese medicine men used to carry with them living plants to treat ailing people. In order to make their transportation easier, these plants were constantly trimmed. Eventually, the medicine men realised that this treatment of constant trimming reduced the plants' leaf size, as well as encouraged plants to develop dense twigs. In a way they reflected the image of a much larger tree in miniature. Such miniaturized trees were so fascinating to look that it assumed that some were sold and others propagated to achieve a similar appearance.
In both Chinese and Japanese mythology, forests, cliffs, waterfalls, mountains and valleys were believed to be the homes of spirits and therefore venerated. They believed that the presence of trees aided them in their meditation. And miniature trees therefore smoothly found a place in the homes of the ancient orient societies.