500-year-old banyan tree discovered near UP's Narora plant now oldest in world

PRAYAGRAJ : A banyan tree found in Narora of UP's Bulandshahr could be the oldest in the world.
Discovered by a joint team of scientists from the Botanical Survey of India, Prayagraj Centre, Babe-Bolyai University, Romania and a lab from Johannesburg, South Africa, this tree is estimated to be 500-yearold, surpassing the GreatBanyan of Acharya Jagadish Chandra Bose Indian Botanic Garden, Shibpur,Howrah, which is around 350 years old. The Narora banyan tree was discovered during a floristic survey in the Upper Ganga Ramsar site and ranks tenth among the giant banyan trees in the world for its size.
Its canopy (the upper circle) spreads over 4,069 square meters. Its age was determined through carbon dating methods.
Howrah’s great Banyan Tree had the distinction so far
The radiocarbon dating results indicate an age of 450 ± 50 years for the Indian banyan tree at Narora. This age represents the oldest accurate dating result for the species. Interestingly, it has only four roots supporting the main trunk,” said Prof Arti Garg, senior scientist of BSI, Prayagraj, and co-author of the study.
This tree is located eight kilometres from the Narora Power Plant in Bulandshahr (UP), she added. The study, published as a research article in the May edition of ‘Current Science’, has been authored by Roxana T Patrut, Adrian Patrut, Laszlo Rakosy and Ileana-Andreea Ratiu of the Babe-Bolyai University, ClujNapoca, Romania, Arti Garg from BSI, Prayagraj and Stephan Woodborne from iThemba LABS, Johannesburg.
“In India, banyan trees have a spiritual, mythological and religious significance, symbolizing eternal life and/or fertility and are recommended for planting around homes and temples. They are also referred to as ‘Kalpavriksha’, meaning wish-fulfilling trees,” said Prof Garg.
World’s largest F. benghalensis (banyan tree) as measured by net covered area, is Thimmamma Marrimanu in Andhra Pradesh, with a coverage of 19,107 sqm, followed by Kabir Vad banyan tree in Gujarat, which spreads over 17,520 sqm and the Giant Banyan tree at Majhi, UP, with 16,770 sqm.
The Great Banyan tree of Kolkata, previously considered the oldest and the largest banyan in the world, now ranks fourth with a coverage of 16,531 sqm.
In May 2022, researchers said that a tree in central Chile -a Patagonian cypress known as Alerce Milenario or Gran Abuelo, aka the ‘Great-Grandfather Tree -is one of the oldest living trees in the world. It’s estimated to be 5,484 years old and is one of the largest on the forest floor inside Alerce Costero National Park at more than 13 feet in diameter.
Likewise, The Methuselah tree, a bristlecone pine, is also considered to be one of the world’s most ancient trees. It’s roughly 4,853 years old, meaning it’s older than Egypt’s pyramids. This year, scientists have claimed that a Patagonian cypress known as Lañilawal or Alerce Milenario in Chile’s Alerce Costero National Park may be the oldest tree on Earth. One researcher estimates it sprouted more than 5,000 years ago.