EVER HEARD OF THE DEVIL TREE ?

                                                                    

 As children, in an attempt to keep us away from certain things and objects, we were told that the Devil, or a ghost, or a Bhoot had occupied it, and we should never go there. One such object of this vilification was a tree that came to be known as the Devil Tree. It was carefully explained that we should not clamber up its branches because it was in the possession of a wicked person from the underworld, who would do much harm to us. Wide-eyed, we children listened and mostly stayed away from that particular tree. Growing up, starting a family, and work pressure make a man forget much of his childhood; a familiar smell, or a chance encounter may resurrect a childhood memory.

It was a pleasant evening during this month, and the heat of summer, chastened by the rain, induced the mercury to attain a reasonable level. There was, at times, a gentle nip in the air that was more pronounced as darkness fell. I parked my car under a large tree. As I alighted, a whiff of a mysteriously seductive smell, with a hint of cardamom, enveloped me. I stood, inhaling its fragrance, which originated from the tree. Equally enigmatically, the years fell off, and I was suddenly the carefree boy who played all day and scrambled up trees. My reverie was broken when a passing cyclist almost collided with me.

The next day, I visited the very same spot and stood under the tree. There was no smell, but there were clumps of greenish white flowers that adorned it. That's when it all came back. The tree I allude to is indeed the Devil’s Tree in popular perception and is inhabited by Bhoots and Bhootnis.

It is called the blackboard tree because from its soft wood, that writing instrument of one’s childhood, called the phatti or writing board, was made. It was at times called slate, though technically that is a writing board made out of a rocky material called slate. A chalk-like material called saleti was used to write on it, and a damp cloth was used as an eraser to clean the phatti. For the same reason, it is known as the Scholars' Tree. The Latin name is Alstonia scholaris. In North India, it is familiar to all malis as the Saptaparni tree.

It is said that the approaching cold season is marked by the appearance of flowers on the tree. They last till December and fade away, taking their heady smell with them, and allowing the tree to remain in obscurity till the following cold season.