Kabirvad is a
banyan tree
A banyan, also spelled banian ( ), is a Ficus, fig that develops accessory trunks from Aerial root#"Stranglers" (prop-root), adjacent prop roots, allowing the tree to spread outwards indefinitely. This distinguishes banyans from other trees ...
located on a small river island in the
Narmada River
The Narmada River, previously also known as ''Narbada'' or anglicised as ''Nerbudda'', is the 5th longest river in India and overall the longest west-flowing river in the country. It is also the largest flowing river in the state of Madhya Prade ...
, in
Bharuch district
Bharuch (formerly commonly known as Broach) in India, is a district in the southern part of the Kathiawar, Kathiawar peninsula on the west coast of state of Gujarat with a size and population comparable to that of Greater Boston. Bharuch derives ...
, Gujarat, India. The tree and place is associated with 15th-century mystic-poet
Kabir
Kabir ( 15th century) was a well-known Indian devotional mystic poet and sant. His writings influenced Hinduism's Bhakti movement, and his verses are found in Sikhism's scripture Guru Granth Sahib, the Satguru Granth Sahib of Saint Gar ...
, and the location includes a temple dedicated to him. The place is a religious site as well as a popular tourist spot.
Description
Nearchus
Nearchus or Nearchos (; – 300 BC) was one of the Greeks, Greek officers, a navarch, in the army of Alexander the Great. He is known for his celebrated expeditionary voyage starting from the Indus River, through the Persian Gulf and ending at t ...
, an admiral of
Alexander the Great
Alexander III of Macedon (; 20/21 July 356 BC – 10/11 June 323 BC), most commonly known as Alexander the Great, was a king of the Ancient Greece, ancient Greek kingdom of Macedonia (ancient kingdom), Macedon. He succeeded his father Philip ...
, described a large specimen on the banks of the
Narmada River
The Narmada River, previously also known as ''Narbada'' or anglicised as ''Nerbudda'', is the 5th longest river in India and overall the longest west-flowing river in the country. It is also the largest flowing river in the state of Madhya Prade ...
, possibly Kabirvad. The tree's canopy was so extensive, it sheltered 7,000 men. It was later described by James Forbes (1749–1819) in his ''Oriental Memoirs'' (1813–1815) as nearly in circumference, with over 3,000 trunks. Currently, the area of its canopy is , with a perimeter of .
Tourism
The banyan tree and place, a religious site as well as a popular tourist spot, is associated with 15th-century mystic-poet
Kabir
Kabir ( 15th century) was a well-known Indian devotional mystic poet and sant. His writings influenced Hinduism's Bhakti movement, and his verses are found in Sikhism's scripture Guru Granth Sahib, the Satguru Granth Sahib of Saint Gar ...
, and the location includes a temple dedicated to him.
From
Bharuch to Jhanor via Shuklatirth, there is a place known as Kabirmadhi on the bank of the Narmada River. From here, a boat ride brings people to the river island where Kabirvad is located.
Legend
Local legend has it that there were two Brahmin brothers, Jeeva and Tatva, in the village of Shuklatirth, near Mangleshwar, in Bharuch district, Gujarat. One day, the brothers were inspired to find a true saint. To do so, they planted a dried shoot of a banyan tree in their courtyard and surmised that whichever saint would turn the dried shoot green would be a true saint. In the end, they concluded that Kabir turned the shoot green and therefore was a true saint.
According to that legend, the shoot developed into Kabirvad.
See also
*
List of banyan trees in India
*
List of individual trees
References
{{reflist
Tourist attractions in Gujarat
Hindu temples in Gujarat
Flora of India (region)
River islands of India
Narmada River
Bharuch district