For over thirty years, apart from its pulpy and luscious fruit, the tall and shady ‘Jamun Tree’ of my courtyard has been a striking source of social net working.
Year after the year, this tree 50 feet tall and 20 feet in circumference has been yielding over a quintal Jamuns every year.
Come every June- July, my wife Sudha would win accolades for sending bag loads of them tothe family friends all these years.
During the season days, our servants would gleefully collect them by climbing the tree and shaking the branches and would pack them neatly to deliver to hosts of acquaintances while we would eat them direct from the branches protruding on our terrace.
Fascinated by the juice and size of the fruit, my grandsons would call them ‘gulabjamun’ and tomuch amusement of others, they would run around in the house with purple stained mouth.
During the peak days, the fallen ripe fruit would make a huge tempting sheet forcing one to unobtrusively pop them into the mouth.
According to Wikipedia botanical name of Jamun is Syzygium cumini, commonly known as Malabar plum, Java plum, black plum, jamun or jambolan, is an evergreen tropical tree in the flowering plant family Myrtaceae, and favored for its fruit, timber, and ornamental value.
Ayurveda emphasis its effectiveness in controlling the rising blood sugar level and its healing power for the diabetic patients.
It was not for nothing that mythical crocodile was taking the ‘Jamun’ from a monkey in the river for his wife who in turn enamored by its sweetness had desired the heart of the giver monkey.
Two years back, while constructing my adjoining building, unfortunately the contractor trimmed several branches of the tree thus reducing its size to half and the tree did not take it lightly.
We all were very sad and resultantly the abundance of the fruit has substantially come down and our reach from the terrace has also been curtailed.
This year, my garden loving wife, has raised a platform around the tree to stem its further corrosion and has asked the gardener for its special care to ensure its year after years flowering.
May this tree of dark skinned fruit live long and give joy to the eyes of the beholder.
किंशुक कुसुम्जानकर झपटा भौंरा शुक की लाल चोंच पर!
तोते ने निज ठोर चलाई जामुन का फल उसे सोचकर ||
The story shared beautifully. It was indeed a giving tree with many emotions attached. Plucking,Collecting, distributing and eating it was fruit festival that we celebrated every year around this time.
Yes. It will revive.
Trees , indeed are a great source of inspiration . They teach is to stay grounded and by sharing the fruit , bind is together. Beautiful story.
I agree! Thanks for the appreciation
Love the way you write down your experience,memories in your articles. It triggers a nostalgic feeling right from the very first sentence Love to read all your articles. You are such an inspiration!
Thanks Ankit, I’m happy you are enjoying reading them.
What a superb description of the tree laced with emotions.I am sure it will grow back as there is so much love and care it’s getting.You have aptly called it the harbinger of social relationships
Thank You Dr. Rekha Dayal.