In Thrikkodithanam, an idyllic village tucked away on the outskirts of Kottayam, a lone jackfruit tree stands tall and mighty near an ancient temple. Green shoots continue to sprout from the thick, dark trunks of this iconic tree, which also embodies the ideal of a centuries-old tradition.
Fondly called Muthassi Plavu, this jackfruit tree is located in the premises of the famed Mahavishnu temple at Thrikkodithanam and has long been celebrated for its longevity. But a dating study, carried out by a team of botanists from the St. Berchmans College, Changanassery, has now found that the tree is aged 543 years and could actually be one of the oldest jack fruit trees.
Undertaken on a request by the temple advisory committee, the study has also ascertained the age of two other jackfruit trees located on the same property as 416 years and 396 years, respectively. Based on the findings, the temple advisory committee has now kick started efforts to secure a heritage status for the three trees.
The botanists visited the temple early this year and collected core samples from the trunks of these trees. “These trees were dated on the basis of their annual growth rings. The samples were collected by cutting off a medium sized branch from each tree for counting the number of annual rings in the wood. The age was computed by dividing the radius of each tree by its average ring width,“ explained Sony Scaria, who led the team.
As part of determining the age of these trees, the experts also analysed its growth pattern with other jackfruit trees that grow in similar circumstances.
The Muthassi Plavu, according to Mr. Scaria, has a circumference of 5.46 m while its average ring width stood at 0.16 cm. “The reason it still exists is that the tree was protected in a niche where it never had to face competition for space or nutrients as in a forest,” he added.
B. Radhakrishna Menon, president of the temple advisory committee, said the Muthassi Plavu had long enjoyed a special status as a sacred tree. “The Deepa ritual at the temple begins every year under this tree. The legend goes that the tree stands at a location where the idol of the main deity emerged out of a bonfire,” he said.
The Thrikkodithanam temple, regarded as an important seat of the Tamil Vaishnavite movement, is dated back to 11 BC. While the temple is run by the Travancore Devaswom Board, the Department of Archaeology has classified it as a protected monument.
