The Cambodian Bodhi Tree -- New Leaves, and Old
>> Monday, January 4, 2010
New leaves are showing on the sacred Bodhi trees across Cambodia as they are on the more common, and decidedly unsacred mango. (At the same time many other trees are losing leaves, shedding seeds, or going dormant :).Local lore says that at least some of the Bodhi trees originated in India. The trees in front of Wat Botum in Phnom Penh (near the National Assembly) are said to have grown from cuttings from ancient trees growing in Sri Lanka, which in turn were taken from cuttings from the "original" Buddha tree. The Wat was founded in 1422 by King Ponhea Yat (1405-1467), but got its current name in 1865.
