top of page
Search

Saja Tree: The Sacred Lifeline of Vidarbha’s Tribal Communities

Saja Tree: The Sacred Lifeline of Vidarbha’s Tribal Communities
Saja Tree: The Sacred Lifeline of Vidarbha’s Tribal Communities

In Vidarbha’s forest heartland, one tree stands out as a pillar of community life, the Saja or Indian Laurel. For generations, tribal families have held this stately tree in reverence.


It provides timber for their homes and tools, bark and gum for medicine, and most of all serves as a living symbol of their faith. Elders explain that their gods and goddesses dwell in the Saja’s trunk or canopy, making it sacred ground.


This article explores the many roles of the Saja tree among Vidarbha’s tribal peoples, from spirituality to livelihood.


Sacred Symbol in Tribal Traditions


Among the Gonds and other tribes of Vidarbha, the Saja tree is deeply sacred. Anthropologist Verrier Elwin recorded that the Gonds of India worship the Saja tree because they consider it the traditional home of Bara Deo, the clan’s supreme god.


Village elders say that if a clan has no built shrine, they instead mark a Saja tree as the abode of the village mother goddess.

In practice, tribal priests place ritual stones at the base of a Saja in place of an idol, and call it the holy centre of the clan.


This reverence extends to community rites. Tribal festivals often take place beneath a Saja or on a platform of Saja logs.


As one tribal leader explains, “We offer the leaves of Saja and other sacred trees in worship of nature.” Forest guardians in the region say the Saja is one of the “life-saving” trees that tribes protect zealously.


Ancient laws, seen today in Bastar traditions, forbid harming these trees, reflecting a belief that such trees shelter the ancestors or local deities. In nearby Bastar too, priests speak of gods Budhadev and Lingobin inhabiting Saja trunks, showing a shared tribal lore.


At ceremonies like weddings and funerals, Saja wood and leaves figure prominently. The wooden posts of a tribal marriage canopy, the mandap, are traditionally made from Saja timber, whose shade shelters the bride and groom.


Likewise, a bridal procession may circle a living Saja tree as part of the ritual. Through these practices, the tree’s spiritual importance is woven into every generation’s life cycle.

In Vidarbha’s villages today, tribal families still pass down songs and stories about the Saja, ensuring it remains a sacred symbol as forests around them recede.


Medicinal and Everyday Uses


Beyond its spiritual role, the Saja tree has long been a source of practical medicine for Vidarbha’s tribals. The bark and sap contain compounds that tribes recognise as healing agents.


Herbalists use a decoction of Saja bark to treat wounds and skin infections, noting its antiseptic qualities.

The bark is also astringent, and tribal healers administer it for stomach upsets and diarrhoea, trusting in the plant’s restorative effect. In fact, scientific sources confirm Saja bark yields tannins and antiseptic agents such as pyrogallol and catechol, which justify this folk use.


The sticky gum that exudes from the trunk is another household remedy. Women in the villages apply Saja gum on burns or swellings, leveraging its soothing properties. This resin also finds use as a breath freshener or incense when mixed with flowers on the hearth.


Occasional topical use of crushed Saja leaves, guided by tribal lore, serves as a poultice for minor injuries. Though modern healthcare reaches some areas, these traditional remedies remain important when no clinic is nearby.


Tribal farmers also value Saja fruit and seed. The fruits are not juicy, but the seeds inside can be roasted and eaten as food. In times of scarcity, these serve as an emergency supplement. Meanwhile, farmers know Saja’s foliage can feed livestock. Cows and goats browse on fallen leaves in dry spells, and the bark is sometimes licked for its minerals.


Thus, in daily life, the tree provides a range of benefits, from medicine to fodder, that keep tribal families healthy and resilient.


The Saja tree is not only a cultural icon, but it is also an economic resource for Vidarbha’s villages. Its heartwood is prized for construction and craft. Tribal carpenters and artisans note that Saja wood is very hard and termite-resistant, making it ideal for house beams, furniture, and tool handles.


Forest-handbooks describe the wood as excellent timber used for house building, furniture, cabinet making, and tool handles.


Many village homes have doorframes and planks carved from Saja, a testament to its durability. Even water-diving apparatus, such as raft poles, were traditionally made of Saja because the wood stays solid when wet.


Collecting and trading minor forest produce is also tied to Saja. The gum can be harvested carefully, though in some regions, large-scale tapping has been controlled to conserve the trees. Small merchants will buy processed Saja gum to sell in town markets, where it is known as a natural adhesive and laxative.


Meanwhile, villagers sell Saja poles and beams for cash in local timber yards, supplementing their income. In this way, the tree supports livelihoods beyond spiritual life, at market stalls and through forest labour, providing a vital link between villagers and the cash economy.


The tree’s value has led tribes to protect it. Forest officers note that some local groups forbid cutting live Saja trees except for ritual needs.

Any unchecked logging is seen as taboo. This protective custom helps keep Saja populations healthy in village lands. Unlike commercial plantations of fast-growing species, Saja grows slowly but steadily. Villagers cultivate it in small grooves near farms or by sacred groves around village shrines.


These practices ensure that even as forests shrink, every village retains a few mature Saja trees for future generations.


Ecological Role and Conservation

Ecological Role and Conservation of Saaj Trees in Vidarbha. The photo shows water storage capabilities of a Saaj Tree
Ecological Role and Conservation

Ecologists recognise the Saja as a key species of the dry deciduous forests of central India, the same forests that cover parts of Vidarbha. The tree is drought-tolerant and fire-resistant, traits prized by conservationists for land restoration. Forestry guides recommend planting Saja along field borders and degraded slopes because its deep roots stabilise soil and its canopy retains moisture.


Each season, it blooms with nectar-rich flowers that draw bees, and its seedpods feed birds, helping maintain local biodiversity. The Saja shapes the forest ecosystem.

Yet this tree faces pressures. Uncontrolled tapping of gum for industry had made Saja scarce in some areas, even prompting state bans on gum collection.


Tribes and environmental groups now work together to balance use and protection. Seedlings are often left to grow alongside fields, and community forestry programs sometimes focus on planting Saja due to its many uses. By replanting it in schoolyards and community groves, locals hope the tree will thrive even as forest cover recovers.


For Vidarbha’s tribes, sustaining the Saja is part of sustaining their own way of life. It acts as a living thread through the landscape. When rains come, its roots seep water into the earth. When festivals arrive, its leaves dress the altar.


Even today, when new roads reach villages, the old residents can be seen pausing by a Saja to whisper respects. In these forests of central India, the Saja tree remains a guardian and provider, cementing the bond between people and nature without need for words or monuments. Long after ceremonies change, the tribes’ bond with this tree stays strong, grounding the region’s identity in its living woodland.


References


Comments

Rated 0 out of 5 stars.
No ratings yet
Add a rating

About the Author

The NewsDirt is a trusted source for authentic, ground-level journalism, highlighting the daily struggles, public issues, history, and local stories from Vidarbha’s cities, towns, and villages. Committed to amplifying voices often ignored by mainstream media, we bring you reliable, factual, and impactful reporting from Vidarbha’s grassroots.

bottom of page