Banyan (Bat)

Ficus benghalensis Banyan tree Nyagrodhah Bat, Baragad Vata Alamaram Peddamarri Peral Ala Also known as Latin English Sanskrit Hindi Marathi Tamil Telugu Malayalam Kannada

How it looks—It is a very large tree with widely spreading branches having typical aerial roots-prop roots. The bark is greenish white and the fruit, contained in red, fleshy receptacles.

What we use—Aerial root, bark, leaves, buds, fruit, latex.

What it does—Astringent, refrigerant, anodyne, depurative, anti-inflammatory, styptic, antiarthritic, antidiarrhoeal, anti-emetic, tonic.

How we use it—

In sterility in women—Powder the dry roots finely and store. Take a tsp of this powder with half a glass of cow's milk at bedtime, for at least 3 menstrual cycles.

In white discharge and vomiting—Make a decoction of the aerial roots and consume half a glass twice a day.

In skin disorders—Whether it is burning sensation, scars, abscesses or ulcers, the banyan has an answer. Paste banyan and peepal bark in coconut milk and apply on the affected areas to prevent scars and heal ulcers.

In diarrhoea and dysentery—Soak the buds of the banyan tree in water overnight and take the infusion every morning until diarrhoea is controlled.

In bleeding piles—Mix a few drops of the milky latex of the banyan tree in milk and take daily to cure bleeding piles.

In painful joints—The milky juice from the banyan tree is good to massage aching joints with, as it relieves swelling and rheumatic pain.

Tooth care—The aerial roots of the banyan make for effective toothbrushes, owing to the astringent secretions from the stick which is to be chewed while brushing.

Hair growth—Powder equal quantities of the aerial roots of banyan and lime skin. Boil the powder in coconut oil and store. This oil promotes hair growth and leaves hair with a fine sheen.

In baldness—Powder the aerial roots of banyan and lotus roots and use the same way as above. This preparation irritates the bald scalp and stimulates hair growth.

In sex—To improve sexual activity, eating fruits is an established treatment. Its fruit is collected and dried in shade. Then it is powdered and mixed with sugar (for taste) and taken three times a day with water.