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  • 7/29/2019 Palm Tree as an Indispensible Element of the Biology and Creativity of Human World a Generic Micro Study

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    Palm tree as an indispensible element of the biology and creativity of human world:

    A generic micro study on the basis of Indian art- Sachin Kr. Tiwary 1

    Palm tree as an indispensible element of the biology and creativity of human world:

    A generic micro study on the basis of Indian art

    Significance of trees in ancient culture and religion:

    The Palm tree has been termed the princes of the vegetable kingdom. The cult of tree

    worship is very old and till today temple in village, and way side shrine are built are important

    because they provide shade for human as well as animals. Tree motifs would be considered

    importance for ornamentation of the temple and naturally, therefore, the legends associated with

    plants and worship of plants would also be depicted, but a large number of trees are also

    worshipped without necessarily a religious belief attached to them. It is universal fact about

    Bodhi tree. (Coomarswamy, 1971:17) but the depiction ofBodhi tree related to religion believe

    motifs such as Jackfruit, custard, Palm and other plants seen on Buddhist monument like

    Bharahut and Sanchi.

    From the earliest times, trees have been the focus of religious life for many peoples

    around the world. As the largest plant on earth, the tree has been a major source of stimulation to

    the mythic imagination. Trees have been invested in all cultures with a dignity unique to their

    own nature, and tree cults, in which a single tree or a grove of trees is worshipped, have

    flourished at different times almost everywhere. Even today there are sacred woods in India andJapan, just as there were in pre-Christian Europe. An elaborate mythology of trees exists across a

    broad range of ancient cultures.

    There is little evidence in the archaeological record of tree worship in the prehistoric

    world, though the existence of totems carved from wood that may have held a sacred

    significance is suggested by the pole topped with a bird's body and head which appears next to

    the bird-headed, ithyphallic male figure in the so-called well scene at Lascaux. The terraces of

    the Funerary Temple of Hatshepsut at Deir el-bahari (c. 1480 BCE) were planted with myth

    trees. In several Greek myths, women and men are frequently transformed into trees: Atys into a

    pine tree, Smilax into a yew, and Daphne into the laurel, which was sacred to Apollo.

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    Palm tree as an indispensible element of the biology and creativity of human world:

    A generic micro study on the basis of Indian art- Sachin Kr. Tiwary 2

    Present paper deals with the importance of palm tree motif and art historical point of

    view from cave painting to historical monument religion and natural importance, reason behind

    the acceptance of this motif or art in Indian art etc. During my field survey for rock art

    exploration I had noticed in one cave painting of palm tree. It was the first time when I feel that

    on this particular topic we should concentrate for the research article but due to lack of

    references it couldnt prepare in short time.

    Palm tree- Origin in historical context:

    From the prehistoric time palm motifs have been noticed during rock art exploration, in

    which palm trees are painted along with the human society, which is showing the relation

    between palm and human culture. Like this evidence I have noticed and documented from

    Kaimur region of Bihar. (Plate I: A) from the site known as Ancode, Trivendram district, Kerala,

    where 10 sets of palm leaf pattern drawn in the form of petro glyphs, which is overlapping each

    other. (Mathapal, 1998: 22) It was imperative that the changing scenario all around would have

    an impact on Indian architecture and ornamentation also. The artisans who were earlier

    patronized by nobility and belonged to a guild, did assimilate new ideas and evolved new forms

    and styles but basically they retained the norms of traditional art as mentioned in the Silpshastra,

    the ancient treatise on architecture. And thus a continuous creative tradition was evolved with

    minor addition and subtraction. This is particularly in the case of plants depicted on temple

    which according to popular botanical belief are not indigenous to India. Since the temple priest

    are orthodox and conservative in their views, they would never accept a flower, fruit or even a

    leaf as offering unless it has been traditionally accepted. (Kramrich, 1976:309-311) The

    universal spirit the god Saundara Rajan writes the Indian temple is the most prominent and

    enduring of the symbols of Indian culture. It was the product of the genius of India craftsmen,

    their patrons pontiffs and the devotees in so far as the Silpa text and the structural architecture

    have the relationship of Saira (body) and Atama (soul). (Soundara, 1978: 52) the ancient India

    trees were considered and worshipped as the abode of deities tree spirit and ofYaksha.

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    Palm tree as an indispensible element of the biology and creativity of human world:

    A generic micro study on the basis of Indian art- Sachin Kr. Tiwary 3

    Palm tree motif in world context:

    In the early historical period, however, there is considerable evidence that trees held a

    special significance in the cultures of the ancient world. In Ancient Egypt, several types of treesappear in Egyptian mythology and art, although the hieroglyph written to signify tree appears to

    represent the sycamore (nehet) in particular. The sycamore carried special mythical significance.

    The Egyptian temple was conceived essentially as a stone model of the creation landscape. The

    orders of columns, however, were designed not as direct representations of plant life (the palm,

    lotus, and papyrus bundle), but as stone reproductions of idealized landscape features. The palm

    form column, for example, which appears already fully developed by the 5th Dynasty (2465 -

    2323 BCE) and used constantly for the next 2000 years, shows the palm tree as a circular column

    as if it were the trunk of a palm tree with the topmost section ornamented with palm leaves

    shown as if tied with a thong around the column.

    Specific in India:

    The Palmyra Palm is a tall unbranched palm with near circular fan-shaped leaves forming

    a crown at the top of the columnar trunk. The round fruit which arise in bunches is large, slightly

    globular and yellowish. The tree trunk has horizontal markings. It grows wild in Tamilnadu,

    Orissa, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and occasionally in Madhya Pradesh, Bihar and Bengal. The

    tala tree, as it is commonly known, is depicted on temple in various ways. As a purely decorative

    panel forming a part of the forest flora or as a part of the scene as seen in Bharahut and Sanchi

    (Plate I: D) sculptures; as taladhvaja, raised in honor ofBalaram, also known as Sankarshana

    depiction of the legend, killing ofDhenukasura by Balarama; Saptala frieze after the legend

    mentioned in the Ramayana, depiction of an amorous scene under the tala tree; extraction of

    today, an intoxicating drink. Sculptures ofTaladhvaja capitals were found in tumain in Madhya

    Pradesh. The poetry on nature associate with palm is proving that how palm tree was associated

    with the human. The Maria Gonds of Bastar, a tribal belt in Madhya Pradesh sing a chorus in

    praise of their land. Translated, it goes;

    In our land, O girl,

    Oh, in our land, dear girl, Stretching our hands we can pluck the mangoes, dear girl.

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    Palm tree as an indispensible element of the biology and creativity of human world:

    A generic micro study on the basis of Indian art- Sachin Kr. Tiwary 4

    Oh, stretching our hands we can pluck the mangoes, dear girl,

    Never a scarcity of mangoes, dear girl,

    Oh, never a scarcity of mangoes, O girl.

    If you drink toddy, dear girl,

    You would drink to your heart's content, dear girl.

    Gods with their own hands, O dear girl,Have planted the palm tree, O girl,

    Oh, they have planted the palm tree, dear girl.

    J.N. Banerjee comments on the discovery of this sculpture of the Taladhvaja, Capital of

    a stone column shaped like leafy top of a Palmyra tree which was discovered at Pawaya (the side

    of ancient Padmavati, Capital ofNagas) near Gwalior by Garde. It may be noticed here that

    Besnagara-Vidisa was not very far from the place. The figure of a donkey carved in high relief

    on the Capital shows that the mythology about the killing of the ass-demon (Dhenukasura) by

    Samkarshana had already been development. (Banerjee, 1968:11) Near the Vidisha pillar

    during my visit I have noticed one tala capital lying near pillar, in which palm leaf carved in

    high relief. (Photo I :E) Tala tree as the dhvaja ofBalarama was obviously most appropriate

    because of the association of the ever inebriate Samkarshana. In theMahabharata, Samkarshana

    is described as Ksiva i.e., drunk. Fermented juice of palm tree is intoxicating.

    Ethnological study of Palm:

    The depiction of palm has been reported almost all part of India. Some time the amorous

    couple depicted below or near palm tree, as we know that the palm also a produce wine or

    alcohol like drinking material. As we know that the tradition of palm occupation may borrow

    from arid zone, here it should be clear that the origin of palm is not indigenous. During the

    invasion of Persians rulers the utility of palm wine come along with them, because it was a

    cultural part of Persia, here in India in these times a particular group or we can say the cast

    known as Pasi or Paswan working (Plate I:C) on our own traditional business that is to collect

    wine or I should say palm juice from the palm tree and palm flowers. The term Pasi or Paswan isnothing but the changed name after Persian invasion. So Persian people now in India known as

    Pasi or Paswan. This is showing that how palm group of tree is deeply associated with human

    society.

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    Palm tree as an indispensible element of the biology and creativity of human world:

    A generic micro study on the basis of Indian art- Sachin Kr. Tiwary 5

    Palm Legendaries (Literary evidences):

    Legend around the two brothers associated with the tree are profusely sculpted on

    Vaishanava temple, particularly the Kadamba tree, Kadamba and tala trees no longer grow wildin Vrindavana and its surroundings. Whereas a stay Kadamba tree is still found in gardens, tala

    tree is not even visible. Yet both the trees are so intrinsically connected with the childhood

    exploits ofKrishna andBalarama, the trees would most definitely have grown there profusely,

    as references to, a forest of tala tree or a grow of Kadamba trees on the bank of the river

    Yamuna are quite persistent. Kadamba tree is now being planted to re-create the forests

    associated with Krishna. (Bhattacharya, 1996,: 80)

    According to a legend, demon Dhenuka lived in a forest ofTala trees and harassed theinhabitants of the surroundings area but his main targets were Krishna and Balarama. Getting

    tired of his harassment Balaram, the elder brother of Krishna, entered Talavana, the forest of

    Tala trees and to incite the demon to come out into the open, shock the trees. Tala fruits fell in

    abundance making a noise which attracted the attention ofDhenuka who in the form of a

    donkey, charged at the two brothers.Balaram killed him and threw his carcass on top of the Tala

    tree. (Sinha :413) the most graphic depiction of this legend is from Pawaya in Madhya Pradesh.

    The tala tree with its large, fan-shaped leaves even through it has mutilated. Another good

    depiction of this legend is from Vidisa, Madhya Pradesh.

    Tala tree is mentioned many times in BalmikisRamayana. It appears from this text that

    the tala tree grew commonly in the forests and wastelands. Ramachnadra described Panchavati

    to Lakshmana where Rama took up his abode while in exile and among the various trees he

    mentioned are the tala trees. (Shastri, RamayanaBalmiki:35)

    When Ravana went to abduct Sita, he directed Maricha to Ramas hermitage and told

    him, here is Ramas hermitage shaded by the Palm tree. Now accomplish the purpose for which

    we have come here. (Shastri, RamayanaBalmiki: 87) After Sita had been abducted by Ravana,

    Rama searching for her, approached a tala tree and asked him about Sitas where abouts. Oh

    Tala tree, he said, have pity on me and if thou has seen fair damsel, whose breast resemble thy

    ripe fruit, do thou tell me. (Shastri, RamayanaBalmiki: 126)

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    Palm tree as an indispensible element of the biology and creativity of human world:

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    Another popular legend from the Ramayana associated with the tala tree is a Saptatala

    legend showing seven for Sita, Rama and Lakshmana reached the Kishkindha mountains where

    they met Hanuman and Sugriva. Sugrevas elder brother Bali had usurped the kingdom of

    Sugrivas and had also forcibly kept his wife. Sugriva offered to help Rama along with his army

    in the search for Sita, provided Rama helped him first to regain his wife and kingdom. Rama

    agreed to the condition but Sugriva had doubts about Ramas strength as he considered his

    brother Bali very powerful. Rama understood Sugriva doubts about his strength, and to give him

    confidence shot an arrow at seven trees ofSala or tala standing in a row. The legend is sculpted

    on Vaishnava temple, Mallikarjuna temple, Vithal temple, Amriteshwara temple and Hazararama

    temple, Hampi, all are in Karnataka and Varadarajaswami temple in Kanchipuram, Tamilnadu.

    InBalmiki Ramayana the tree mentioned is the Sala tree but not only the legend is called

    the Saptatala legend, the trees sculpted are also the Tala trees. Very likely the tree mentioned in

    the Saptatala legend would have been the Tala tree as it has a straight unbranched, columnar

    trunk crowned with leaves. According toAgni Purana, the trees shot by Rama were the Tala not

    only denotes a tree but also means rhythm, while its variant spelling signifies meant perhaps are:

    atala, rasarala, nitala, stala, bhutala, vitala, patala symbolically the seven worlds of Hindu

    mythology. The view is substantiated by the presence of a serpent sculpted under the seven Tala

    and serpent live under the earth. A panel from Deobaloda in Raipur, Madhya Pradesh shows asamorous couple between two Tala trees. The presence of the tala tree flanking the couple is

    significant as form the tala tree, today is extracted which when fermented becomes an intoxicant.

    The only purely decorative depiction, a pillar decoration is from the Jambukeshvara temple

    where a single leaf of Tala is sculpted. Tala tree is also sculpted on some panels Sanchi Stupas.

    At the Virabhadraswami temple, Macherla, Andhra Pradesh, two tala trees are sculpted. On the

    left a women is climbing the tree to extract toddy in very much the same way as it is done at

    present. Next to her under another tala tree, a woman is offering the toddy wine from a pot to a

    warrior. The fan-shaped leaves, the columnar tree trunk with horizontal markings are

    unmistakable, even through slightly stylized. A very natural depiction and two people are

    looking out of the window above. The columnar tree trunk with horizontal markings and fan-

    shaped leaves and bunches of globular fruits at the top are clear.

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    Palm tree as an indispensible element of the biology and creativity of human world:

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    The depiction of palm not only associates with Hindu religion but also with Islamic

    religion on architecture, but behind the motto of the palm depiction is only decoration like in the

    Deccan, architectural forms were sometimes inspired by nature. The Hyderabad monuments

    stand out for their use of pineapple-like domes and minarets, and columns modeled on palm

    trees. In many ways, these monuments are more interesting than the more renowned Mughal

    monuments.

    Generic study of Indian palm motif:

    CARYOTA URENS Linn.: Horse-tailed or fish-tailed palm has a tell, unbranched columnar stem

    topped by a dense tuff of large, irregularly bi-pinnate dull-green leaves, the pinnate being fan-

    shaped. Flowers appears in spikier from leaf axils and hang down in large clusters, which has

    given the name, Horse-tail Palm to the tree. Since elephants feed on the young fruit of the Palm,

    it is also called Elephant Palm.

    The solitary depiction of the Horse-tail palm noticed from the Meenakshi temple

    complex, Madura. This pillar decoration in one of the Halls of the temple complex shows as

    elephant along with the Palm with his trunk reaching out to the hanging fruits of and it has no

    religious significance either panel the sculpture of the Palm is purely decorative.

    COCOS NUCIFERA Linn.: Coconut palm commonly found growing on the sea coast and also

    cultivated in the interior Kerala, Tamilnadu, Karnataka, Maharastra, Assam, Bengal, Odisha and

    in Andhra Pradesh and some are also in North India. It cames from Malaysia and has been

    propagated on the east coast of India from the middle of the first century B.C.. Coconut fruit is

    considered highly auspicious and offered to various deities and on auspicious occasions to

    guests. Symbolically the coconut fruit is considered highly auspicious and offered to various

    deties and on auspicious occasions to guests. Symbolically the coconut fruit is considered as

    Shivas head. The three black round scars on the shell as his three eyes and the fibrous mesocarp

    as the matted hair of Shiva, the ascetic. A coconut fruit along with leaves of the mango tree is put

    on the mouth of a Kalasa or a water-pot which then is called a Purna-kumbha or a Purna-ghta,

    the vase of plenty. (Plate I:B) The pot is symbolically invoked as god and goddess for the

    success of any mission undertaken. The coconut is adorned with sandal paste, vermillion and

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    flowers. (Gupta, 1965 :28) so many temple and we can say almost all temples from Indian we

    have noticed Kumbha motif on wall, pillar and on shikhra of the temple. According to

    mythological story, Rishi Vishwamitra created the coconut palm. (Gupta, 1972:35-37) from

    Jambukeshwar temple 17th Centuary, Tiruchirapalli, Tamilnadu it has been noticed the episode

    of Vishwamitra and Heaven. Ccoconut fruit is given as Dakshina after a religious ceremony. In

    Matsya Purana it is written that at the end of a vrata to propitiate Shiva, a devotee, depending on

    his means should give a coconut fruit made in gold or silver to a Brahman who has a large

    family. The depiction of coconut are more prominent only in south India, it is showing that the

    climatic condition from beginning not much well for the growth of coconut in north India. From

    Meenakshi temple, Madura, Vishnu Brahma and the Vira Brahma temples in Alampur, Andhra

    Pradesh have depiction of the coconut tree along with the globular fruits, though a crudesculpture as pillar decoration.

    PHOENIX DACATYLIFERA Linn.: Date Palm is a tall dioecious tree with long feather like

    pinnate leaves 2-3 m. long forming a thick crown; the columnar tree trunk is slightly bent

    reaching a height of 19 m. or more. It is covered with remnants of persistent leaf bases froming a

    diamond shaped deign. Fruit, a one-seeded berry is oblong-elliptical in shape, orange-yellow to

    reddish-brown in colour. The time period of tree flowers from March to April and fruit August to

    October has been already noticed. Date palm is found in tropical and sub-tropical parts of Africaand Asia. It has been introduced into India since a long time but is grown to a small extent only.

    The tree has no scared significance but there is a reference to it. As a part of the ancient name of

    Khajuraho Kharjuravahaka, it is mentioned in an 11th

    Century Chandel inscription. Date palm is

    more commonly found on temple wall paintings. It is rarely sculpted but two very good

    depictions of it are seen at Nagarjunakonda and at Sanchi. Both the sculptors are life like

    showing a bunch of pinnate leaves at the top of the slightly bent columnar tree trunk. In both way

    of which is a woman carrying a trayful of offerings. Outside the Chaitya, on the right is the

    figure of Cakravartin. On the upper left is a Date palm.

    RAVENALA MADAGASCARINSIS Sonn.: The Travelers Palm is a tree like herb which is a

    native of Malagasy republic (Madagascar). In India it is cultivated as an ornamental plant for its

    elegant palm-like or fan-shaped leaves. Like the plantain plant it has a pseudo stem and its

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    Palm tree as an indispensible element of the biology and creativity of human world:

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    flowers arise in compact clusters, enclosed in a bract. The fruit is a many-seeded capsule

    surrounded by a mass of bright blue or purple arils. Ravenala has a strong resemblance to the

    banana plant but for its palm-lke, fan-shaped leaves. The tree which is not native to India is

    cultivated in gardens and does well on Indian soil. Since it is sculpted on 12 th century A.D.

    Hoyasaleshvara temple, Karnataka, the plant must have been naturalized in India by plant

    Ravenala has no sacredness about it and the depiction is purely ornamental.

    Palm leaf manuscript1: important source for history:

    In spite of palm motifs in Indian art the palm leaf manuscripts also very important for

    world as well as Indian history. Palm leaf manuscripts are manuscripts made out of dried palm

    leaves. In the old days palm-leaf manuscripts were preserved in almost every house. They

    contained the texts of the epics, the Puranas, Sthala Puranas, and so on. The Jaina holy

    texts, dhavala and mahdhavala may be considered the oldest and best preserved illustrated

    palm-books in Karnataka. They belong to the 11th century C.E. Palm-leaf books were in vogue

    in India as far back as the 4th century C.E. Reference has been made in Buddhist texts to

    housewives reading them in the light of oil lamps in the evenings. (Dutt, 1962,:230) It is

    recorded that the tripithaka or holy Buddhist scriptures were written on palm leaves in the First

    Buddhist Conference (1st century C.E.). A few palm-leaves from a play written by Asvaghosa in

    the second century C.E. have been found. A Kannada composition called Vidagdha Chudamani,

    a commentary on the Amarakosha (lexicography), has survived for 850 years. When the palm-

    leaves were in danger of being damaged, their contents would be copied with a stylus on new

    leaves. Our forefathers went on inscribing on palm leaves with their stylus until their hands

    ached. They copied old texts to be preserved for posterity. They served as the paper of the

    ancient world in parts of Asia as far back as the fifteenth century BCE and possibly much earlier.

    They were used to record actual and mythical narratives in South Asia and in South East Asia.

    It had a reasonably long life and high durability and could be preserved for more than 500 years

    if preserved by maintaining constant temperature and humidity.

    Mackenzie was surveyor-general of India. He went from place to place to collect palm-

    leaf manuscripts. There was at that time no speacial department to deal with them but Mackenzie

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    had them read by experts and took steps to have them preserved. Some of our ancient palm-leaf

    manuscripts contain texts not only of our religious systems but also of various arts and sciences.

    Also the Puranas. But we have lost many of our SthalaPuranas. We must do our best to preserve

    what remains and, at the same time, continue the search for more manuscripts.The beginning of

    the scientific study of investigation of manuscripts in India was started in the year 1868-69 when

    the government took an initiative in the matter and introduced a systematic and regular search of

    manuscripts in different parts of India. As a result many important manuscripts have been

    acquired both by government as well as by private bodies.

    The Sarasvati Mahal Library in Tanjavur, the Oriental Manuscripts Library and the Adyar

    Library, Madras, have good collections of palm leaf manuscripts. The palm-leaf is called edu in

    Tamil. It has two sides with a rib in between - either of the two sides after the removal of the ribis called an edu. The plantain leaf also has a rib. When it is split across the rib, each part is an

    edu. For long the palm-leaf was our paper, nature's paper which was not easily damaged. The

    letters had to be inscribed on it with a stylus. (Patnaik, 1989 :144) (Dsa, 1991:92)

    Conservation of palm manuscript:

    The manuscripts constitute our most precious national and cultural heritage. Thus Preservation of

    manuscripts is a serious issue for the custodians, Librarians, Information scientists, Archivist,

    Curators, and Scholars. In spite of the advent of suitable chemicals for preservation and their

    availability, traditional methods for preservation are in practice.

    Need to preserve natural habitat of palm and ecosystem:

    After above details we can understand that how palm or I should say tree is deeply related

    to us as a part of society. We should come forward for the preservation with society and for

    balancing the nature. The taladhvaja columns were mostly discovered in Madhya Pradesh. It is,

    however, interesting to note that the legend Dhenuka vadha, the killing ofDhenuka must have

    had its locale in Vrindavana or its surrounding near Mathura, Utter Pradesh where Krishna and

    Balarama spent their childhood. Earlier perhaps, tala tree had grown wild but at present only an

    odd tree is visible. It can only be explained in two ways, both there was ruthless destruction and

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    felling of the trees or else the changing environment is responseible for its disappearance from

    that region. The palm art, motif and other manuscript are the priceless heritage of mankind.

    India is sub continental in dimension and biological content. The great biologicaldiversity due to a tremendous variety of ecological habitats is estimated to include 45,000

    species of plants and 65,000 species of animals. This biota is not only our wild genetic treasure,

    but also a part of our rich cultural heritage. It should be preserved at all costs for human survival

    since all forms of life-human, animal, plant and micro-organisms and are so closely interlinked

    to another that disturbance in one gives rise to imbalance in others.

    1. In archaeology, the word manuscript commonly refers to a text written in ink or inpaint on a thin, pliant and portable object (such as paper, papyrus, or leather).Archaeologists make a clear distinction between a manuscript and an inscription; aninscription generally refers to any text written on a hard surface, whether a plaster wall, a

    rock-face, or a piece of jewelry.

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    References cited:

    Banerjee, J.N., 1968, Religion in Art and Archaeology; Vaishanavism, Savism, p.11

    Bhattacharya, S.K., 1996, Krishna Cult in Indian art, M.D. Publishing Ltd. New Delhi, p. 80

    Coomarswamy, A.K., Yaksha, Vol.I, 1971; Munshiram Manoharlal Publishers, New Delhi p. 17

    Dsa, J.P., Joanna Gottfried Williams 1991, Palm-leaf miniatures: the art of Raghunath Prusti of

    Orissa, , , Abhinav Publications, p. 92

    Gupta, S.S., 1965, Tree Symbol Worship in India, Indian Publications, Calcutta, p.28

    Gupta, S.M., 1972Plant Myths and Tradition in India, E.J.Brill, Leiden,Netherland, pp. 35-37

    Kramrich,Stella, 1976, The Indian temples, Vol.II Motilal Banrasidas, p.p.309-311

    Mathapal, Y., 1998, Rock art Kerala, Aryan Book International, New Delhi, p. 22, Plate 22 B

    Patnaik, Durga Prasad, 1989, Palm leaf etchings of Orissa, Abhinav Publications, p.44

    Soundara Rajan, K.V., 1978, Tamilnadu and Kerala: Art of South India, Sundeep Prakashan,

    Delhi, p.52

    Sinha, P.N.A study of the Bhagavata Purana, S.K. ch.15, p. 396; Vishnu Purana translation, by

    Wilson, ch.viii p.413

    Shastri, Ramayana ofBalmiki trans. Vol. II p.35

    Shastri,Ramayana ofBalmiki trans. Vol. II p.87

    Shastri, Ramayana ofBalmiki trans. Vol. II p.126

    Dutt, Sukumar 1962,Buddhist Monks and Monasteries of India, London p. 230

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    Plate I:A

    Plate I: A: Palm motif on Kaimur rock art, Dist. Kaimur, Bihar

    (Photography by author)

    Plate I:B: A Purna-kumbha or a Purna-ghta, the vase of

    plenty (Photography by author)

    Plate I: C: A Pasi man collecting khjur juice from the soft part

    of tree, which is upper most part of tree, Khajuris a locally

    known name of Palm group (Photography by author) Plate I: D: Palm motif indicated inside circle as a votive

    tree (Photography by author)

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    Sachin Kr. Tiwary

    Archaeological Survey of India

    Patna Circle, Patna, Bihar

    E-mail I.D.- [email protected]

    Photo I: E: Palm capital near Vidisha pillar,

    M.P., (Photography by author)

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