Learn to identify trees surrounding you, at the Neralu tree festival

by January 7, 2014 Environment
Tree journalling, identifying workshops, documentary, film/ video screenings of local and global narratives about trees, exhibition - Neralu has all these for you, green brigadiers!

Sweet Indrajao (Wrigtia tinctoria) is a small, deciduous tree with flowers that look like snow flakes. Native to India and Burma, Wrightia is named after a Scottish physician and botanist William Wright.

The leaves of this tree yield a blue dye called Pala Indigo. The wood of this tree is used for making Channapatna toys. The wood is suitable for matchboxes, bobbins, engraving and printing-blocks, mathematical instruments and rulers. It is also suitable for stained wood inlay-work.

Medicinal uses:

A survey conducted showed that tribal people in Chhattisgarh district control diabetes with their own drugs prepared from plant sources proving the effectiveness of the traditional system of medicine, one of the trees being Wrightia tinctoria.

Its astringent, anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties make it ideal to treat a broad range of skin disorders. The leaves are applied as a poultice for mumps. Munching a few leaves relieves toothache. It has anti-inflammatory and anti-dandruff properties and hence is used in hair oil preparations. It is considered to be very effective jaundice plant in Indian indigenous system of medicine.

Are you aware that this tree can be found in Bangalore in different parts of the city? There a few trees in Lalbagh botanical gardens. If you want to know more on trees be a part of the Tree festival, Neralu. With a sincere urge to create awareness among people of Bangalore, a group of tree enthusiasts consisting of naturalists, ecologists, technologists, visual artists, performing artists, writers, homemakers, photographers, storytellers, historians and citizens have come together to envision and put together this tree festival for the city of Bangalore.

This festival has been christened “NERALU (ನೆರಳು)”, meaning shade in Kannada and is scheduled for the 8 and 9 February 2014. A green and peaceful venue in the heart of the city, Cubbon Park, has been chosen as the hub of activities during the 2 days.

A brief description of the events and activities at Neralu:

•       Heritage, ecological and cultural walks beneath the canopy at the renowned heritage and public park of Bangalore, Cubbon Park.

•       Tree journalling and ID-ing workshops

•       Documentary and artistic film/ video screenings of local and global moving image narratives about trees

•       Talks by prominent scholars on Bangalore’s tree heritage

•       An art exhibition of renowned artist Rumale Channabasavaiah’s art works and other selected works by Bangalore based artists, at Rangoli Art Center, Metro Station, MG Road

•       A curated photo exhibition of tree stories by Bangalore based  photographers

•       Storytelling events involving diverse traditions and forms

•       Games and fun activities for children

•       Mega hug-a-tree campaign

Website :www.neralu.in

Reference:

1.http://florajournal.com/vol1issue3/aug2013/31.1.pdf                                

2.www.flowersofindia.com

Related Articles

Why are Bangalore’s trees falling?
A handbook on trees, that is very useful for Bangalore
How to proactively protect trees against felling
Mayor, Commissioner can revoke tree felling decisions, not me: Forest Cell chief
BBMP to take tree felling management online

Sections:

About Poornima Kannan

Poornima is an avid blogger with keen interest in urban wildlife.She is also a freelance communication consultant with special interest in organisations that work towards a social cause.
Read more by Poornima Kannan

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Similar Story

Commuters, vendors bear the brunt of rising air pollution in Chennai’s Ambattur

by January 13, 2026 Environment
IIT-M’s Project Kaatru finds high PM2.5 levels at Ambattur Estate, Padi flyover and Dairy Road, exposing residents to dust and pollution daily.

Commuters passing through Ambattur Industrial Estate inevitably find a layer of dust coating their vehicles, faces, and hands. For Lalitha*, a domestic worker employed at a high-rise apartment near Padi flyover’s Saravana Stores, the last two weeks of December have been especially unbearable. "Dust, dust, dust everywhere," she says, coughing through a persistent cold. At 6 pm, when the rush hour begins, it takes her nearly 30 minutes by bus to cover the 5 km journey home. The ride to the Dunlop area is punctuated by pollution, blaring horns, and endless traffic snarls. “It should take 15 minutes usually, but…

Continue reading

Similar Story

முதல்வர் சீக்கிரம் அடிக்கல் நாட்ட வேண்டும் என்பதற்காக அறிவியல்  ஆய்வுகளைப் புறந்தள்ளுவதா?

by January 9, 2026 Environment
CRZ clearance has been granted for a new drinking water reservoir in the naturally formed coastal salt marshes in Chengalpattu near Chennai.

செங்கல்பட்டு மாவட்டம், திருப்போரூர் மற்றும் திருக்கழுக்குன்றம் வட்டங்களுக்குட்பட்ட வருவாய் கிராமங்களில், இயற்கையாக அமைந்துள்ள கழுவேலி, உப்பங்கழி நீர்நிலையில், புதிய குடிநீர் நீர்த்தேக்கம் அமைக்க CRZ அனுமதி வழங்கியுள்ளது மாநில கடற்கரை ஒழுங்குமுறை மண்டல ஆணையம். இத்திட்டத்தின் முதல் கட்டத்தில் நெம்மேலி, கிருஷ்ணகாரனை, தண்டலம், பட்டிபுலம், திருப்போரூர், மாமல்லபுரம், சலுவான்குப்பம், பையனூர் ஆகிய வருவாய் கிராமங்களுக்குட்பட்ட 4375 ஏக்கர் பரப்பளவில் வருவாய்த்துறை, நீர்வளத்துறைக்குச் சொந்தமான இடங்களில் நீர்த்தேக்கம் அமைக்கத் திட்டமிடப்பட்டுள்ளது. 1.655TMC கொள்ளளவு கொண்ட இந்நீர்த்தேக்கம் மேற்கூறிய கிராமங்களைச் சேர்ந்த 50 ஆயிரத்துக்கும் மேற்பட்ட மக்களின் குடிநீர்த் தேவையைப் பூர்த்தி செய்யும் எனவும் அருகாமை கிராமங்களின் வெள்ள பாதிப்பைக் குறைக்கும் எனவும் அரசுத் தரப்பில் கூறப்படுகிறது. Map showing components of the Kovalam reservoir. Pic courtesy: Tamil Nadu Water Resources Department. இத்திட்டத்திற்கான விண்ணப்பத்தை 17.11.2025 அன்று  தொழில் நுட்ப  வல்லுநர் குழு பரிசீலித்தது. 20.11.2025 அன்று  மாநில கடற்கரை  மண்டல ஆணையம் விண்ணப்பத்தைை பரிசீலித்து CRZ அனுமதிக்கு பரிந்துரைக்கிறது.…

Continue reading