The importance of protecting kadamba trees was highlighted in an awareness programme held at Puttuthoppu here on Sunday morning.
Karthikeyan Parkavithai, coordinator of the event, said that the idea was to spread awareness among the people of Madurai, mainly youngsters, of the importance of kadamba tree, which gave Madurai the eponym ‘ Kadambavanam. ’
“Madurai must have once been filled with kadamba trees. Today, we can count the number of trees in the city,” he said.
S. Nagarathinam, Professor and Head, Department of Communication, Madurai Kamaraj University, said the tree was mostly found in a few temples, including Meenakshi Sundareswarar Temple, where it is the ‘ sthala viruksham. ’ “Apart from this, there are trees in some villages in the district, including a century-old tree in Chockalingapuram near Vadipatti,” he said.
Speaking at the programme, he stressed the need for further research on how the species of tree was intertwined with Madurai’s culture, particularly its use in making of musical instruments and artwork.
S. Baburaj, a retired Associate Professor of Botany at Thiagarajar College, focussed on the environmental and medicinal uses of the tree and the importance of reviving its population in Madurai. The programme was organised as a continuation of the five-day national training programme on ‘Science and Communication on Eco-media, design and innovation for young change makers,’ organised by Madurai Kamaraj University.
