Sthala Vrikshams in Tamil Nadu Hindu Temples to be preserved through Cloning

Each Hindu Temple is Tamil Nadu has a tree attached to it and it is known as Sthala Vriksham. The trees are so unique that some of them are considered as miracle tree. The Vanni tree at the Magudeshwara Temple at Kodumudi and the mango tree at the Ekambershwara Temple at Kancheepuram are nearly 3,500 years old. Now the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (HR&CE) Department in Tamil Nadu is planning to preserve these unique trees through cloning.

The Hindu reports 

Describing every Sthala Vriksham as a unique germplasm, a recent communication of the department urges the officials to take the help of experts from the Agriculture Department or the Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (TNAU) for the task. 

The communication, issued by Additional Chief Secretary R. Kannan to HR&CE Commissioner P. Dhanapal, also asks the executive officers to ensure that enough clones are kept in carefully quarantined, separate places in nandavanam or flower garden. Even in private temples, the HR&CE inspectors should take steps to preserve Sthala Vriksham. The operation should be certified by an international body for its quality. 

A notice board, giving the Tamil, English, Sanskrit and botanical names of each species with details of the legend, should be put up prominently. It should also give the details of the cloning operation, such as the method used and the persons involved, the letter says, citing the case studies of cloning carried out in the past 10 years, including those of the Vanni of Kodumudi and the mango tree of Kancheepuram.