During my recent visit to Ernakulam (Kochi/Cochin), on a particular day, we were
roaming about the street known as Broadway. It dawned on us that there is a very
old temple belonging to a rich community known as Gowda Saraswat Brahmins (GSB
in short) nearby. We found our way and reached the spot where the temple stood.
However, the doors were closed. Disappointed, we were just exploring the
surroundings. There was a small, modern shrine for the serpent Gods. However the
huge stone pillars having cavities for lighting oil lamps seemed to belong to
the distant past. Needless to say that it attracted our attention for the
purpose of capturing them in our cameras.
Alongside there stood a huge tree with
large spherical fruits hanging on its trunk. There were very many pinkish buds
as well. The flowers were quite at a distance at the top and the withered ones were scattered on the ground.
The tree was a curiosity for all of us to look at. There was a guy nearby who
told us its name as Nagamalli or Naga Pushpam. He also added that Hindus revere
it as a sacred tree because the bowl shaped flower, within which there is a
circle of barren stamen, over which a hood resembling a serpent, stands. The
flower is used as an offering in all Shiva temples. Incidentally in the main
temple over there, the presiding deity is Vishnu and not Shiva.
The fruits are quite large. They fall down when they mature making some
noice. This explains as to why they are termed as cannon balls. People are advised not to stand below the tree lest they get injured. However when
they fall down, the pulp within, fills the air with a kind of fowl smell.
Interestingly the flowers have a very pleasant but strong fragrance. There is a
myth associated with that scent. My mom says that if some one smells the
flowers, keeping it very close to the nostrils, blood could ooze out of the nose.
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| By Hans Bernhard in Wikimedia Commons |
The Cannonball Tree possesses antibiotic, antifungal, antiseptic and
analgesic qualities. The trees are used to cure colds and stomach aches. Juice
made from the leaves is used to cure skin diseases. The inside of the fruit can
disinfect wounds and young leaves ease toothache.
Though the tree is said to be a native of northern part of South America,
they are found in many Shiva temple compounds in India. Likewise even Buddhists
consider this tree as sacred and plant them in their Viharas (monasteries). The
trees’ Indian connection is said to be over 2000 years old.
The scientific name of the tree is `Couroupita Guianensis` In Hindi it is
known as “Shiv Kamal” and some times referred to as “Top ka Gola” literally
meaning Cannon Ball.