Sacred Tree - Nagalingam ( Cannonball Tree )

Prosperity Tree and Flower

Couroupita guianensis, whose common names include Ayahuma and the Cannonball Tree, is an evergreen tree allied to the Brazil Nut(Bertholletia excelsa), and is native to tropical northern South America and to the southern Caribbean. In India it has been growing for the past two or three thousand years at least, as attested by textual records^{[citation needed]}; hence it is possible that it is native to India also. It's part of the family Lecythidaceae and grows up to 25m (82ft) in height. The "Cannonball Tree" is so called because of its brown cannon-ball-like fruits. The majority of these trees outside their natural environment have been planted as a botanical curiosity, as they grow very large, distinctive flowers. Its flowers are orange, scarlet and pink in color, and form large bunches measuring up to 3m in length. They produce large spherical and woody fruits ranging from 15 to 24cm in diameter, containing up to 200 or 300 seeds apiece.

Flowers and pollination

Cannonball Tree flowers do not have nectar, so these flowers are mainly visited by bees in search of pollen; outside the native range of habitat,carpenter bees are considered to be the principal pollinators. Both the fruit and the flower grow from stalks which sprout from the trunk of the tree. Cannonball Tree flowers are found on thick tangled extrusions that grow on the trunk of the tree; these are found just below the foliage branches. The extrusions however, can range from two to six feet in length. The flowers are attached to an upwardly bent, white fleshy disk. The flowers have six petals, which are large, orange-red, and strongly perfumed. In pollination, fertile stamens can be found in a ring around reduced style and stamens. The sterile pollen is located in the anthers. As a bee enters to pollinate the flower, its back rubs against the ring with fertile pollen; this allows the bee to carry the fertile pollen to another flower. The differences in the pollen was noticed by French botanist Antoine Porteau in 1825. The differences in the pollen are as follows: the pollen of the ring stamens is fertile, while the hood pollen is sterile.

Flower in the Botanic Garden in Singapore

Fruits and dispersal

The tree gets its common name from the large, spherical fruits it produces. The fruit falls from the tree and cracks open when it hits the ground when mature, often causing the sound of a small explosion. The fruit emits an unpleasant aroma when exposed to the air. Individual seeds within the "ball" are coated with hair, which is thought to protect the seed when it is ingested and may also help in the passage of the seed through the intestines. The cannonball tree and it's fruit are thought by some to be remnants of the last ice age, like the "hedge apple" or "osage orane" of north America. The fruit is thought to be an adaptation provided for the giant ground sloth, a long extinct species. Today instead of seeds being dispersed by the large extinct mammal, the fruit simply rots around the base of it's mother tree. Like coconut palms, the trees should not be planted near paths or near traffic-filled areas, as the heavy nut is known to fall without notice.

]Religious Significance in Asia

The trees are grown extensively in Shiva temples in India. In Hindi it is called Shiv Kamal and also known as "Kailaspati". It is called theNagalingam tree in Tamil. The flowers are called Shivalinga flowers in Hindi; Nagalinga Pushpa in Kannada; Nagamalli flowers or Mallikarjunaflowers in Telugu. Hindus revere it as a sacred tree because the petals of the flower resemble the hood of the Naga, a sacred snake, protecting a Shiva Lingam, the stigma.

In Sri Lanka, Thailand and other Buddhist countries the tree is often planted at Buddhist temples. It is here mistaken as the Sala tree, Shorea robusta, the tree under which the Buddha passed away and under which the previous Buddha Vessabhu attained enlightenment.

]Medicinal Uses

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, and shamans of South America have even used tree parts for treating malaria. The inside of the fruit can disinfect wounds and young leaves ease toothache^].

Spiritual Power of Flowers

Flowers occupy an important place in our worship. Being subtle and tender, they are receptive of the spiritual force. The Divine Mother has given spiritual names to 800 flowers and described their spiritual qualities in detail.

Flowers can intensify our concentration in all cases while those who are unable to concentrate will draw ready help using them. One who lost six ventures into which his father-in-law helped him heard of the flower PROSPERITY. In Tamil this is called Nagalingam, a red flower with four or five petals with a hood in the centre. As this flower is a favourite of God Shiva, it is generally found in Shiva temples. On offering this flower to God, this man who was bankrupt got a job and his salary was doubled the next day. He cherished the flower and collected a lot of them to be offered to God. In two years his income rose to 16 times his salary. The red flower is called selfish prosperity while the same flower of whitish red is called unselfish prosperity. Jasmine is purity, rose is surrender, Cotton rose is GRACE, Bougainvillea is protection.

            Among those who invoke the Spirit, the flower PROTECTION has become popular as nowadays people travel more than before. Carrying this flower protects from accidents. Such stories are numerous. A lady whose income was very small used Nagalingam and was frustrated as there was so results at all. Her dirty house prevented the beneficial action of the force. On cleaning the house, she saw a sudden spurt in her income which in a year led her to buy a house. If an important flower is unavailable, one can imagine the flower in his heart with the same effect. Depression is common. Chrysanthemum (Samandhi) is called Life Energy. On taking the flower in hand, after offering it to God, one can see energy entering his system.

Bless and love

Om Namasivaya

Sivajnani Nagappan
Artha Dharma Concept Builders
Contact : +6012 9259495
Email : artha.dharma@gmail.com