Mahua Tree The Tree Of Life. Royalty-Free Stock Image

The Mahua tree, or madhuca longifolia is grown in the wooded plains of western, central and eastern India, especially where tribes like the Santhals, Gonds, Mundas and Oraons live. These tribes have been living in this area for the last 3,000 years. They consider Mahua to be the tree of life. The mention of Mahua is traced in ancient texts (Hinduism), and its wine was praised. Kalidasa, a poet from the fourth century, wrote about Goddess Parvati wearing its flowers as a garland. However, its culture is even older, and it is most ingrained in India's tribal interior, where people have resisted joining the Hindu mainstream. Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Odisha, Maharashtra, and Bihar are home to the Mahua, a dry deciduous tree. In the tribal-dominated states of Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh, the tree is prevalent and Chhattisgarh districts like Bastar are more commonly associated with Naxalites. Tribal communities like the Gond and Baiga collect Mahua flowers, fruits, seeds, and leaves for their economic value.