The Great Banyan Tree

The Great Banyan Tree is a major attraction and landmark of the Indian Botanical Garden situated at Shibpur near Calcutta (Kolkata), the capital city of West Bengal state, India. Records say that the tree is 250 years old and is spread over an area of one and a half hectares. More than two thousand prop roots support this giant tree.

The tree belongs to the family Moraceae and its botanical name is ficus benghalensis. This Banyan tree is considered to be the largest one in Asia. A wonder in plant kingdom, the tree is mentioned prominently in the “Guinness book of world records”.

This tree itself is a unique destination for travellers in Calcutta. The city is located in eastern India on the banks of the river Hooghly.