There are numerous stories in Hindu religion regarding coconut tree and one such story is associated with King Trishanku. The king was a pious and saintly man and wished to ascend heaven. The king got the help of Sage Vishwamitra in his endeavor.
Accordingly, Sage Vishwamitra performed a powerful yajna and King Trishanku began to rise towards heaven. When Indra, the king of devas or demigods and ruler heaven, saw Trishanku at gates of heaven, he was furious and catching hold of him, threw him down.
Sage Vishwamitra saw Trishanku hurtling downwards and ordered – let Trishanku say where is now. Trishanku’s fall was stopped.
As Indra would not let him ascend into heaven in his body and Vishwamitra would not allow him to come down, Trishanku was suspended between heaven and earth.
As per folklore, Vishwamitra knew that Trishanku would eventually fall to earth unless held up by physical means, so he propped him up with a long pole. The pole eventually turned into a coconut tree and King Trishanku’s head became its fruit. The fiber around the coconut is the beard of Trishanku. When the fiber is removed we see the eyes of King Trishanku.