By Our Staff Reporter
Dehradun, 9 Dec: On the second day of her visit, today, President Droupadi Murmu performed Rudrabhishek Puja at the Raj Pragyeshwar Mahadev Temple in the Raj Bhavan premises, here.
Thereafter, President Murmu inaugurated the ‘Nakshatra Vatika’, a symbol of the spiritual, natural and cultural heritage of Uttarakhand, and planted a Palash sapling. Along with Governor Lt Gen Gurmit Singh (Retd) and First Lady Gurmeet Kaur, Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami and Secretary to Governor Ranjeet Kumar Sinha were also present.
Since ancient times, the sky has been divided into 360 degrees and, if we divide this into 27 parts, then each of its units comes to 13.33 degrees (13 degrees 20 minutes). Each of these units is called a Nakshatra (constellation).
Each Nakshatra is divided equally into 4 Charanas or Padas. These Nakshatras are identified by the position and configuration of the stars in the sky. Akin to the longitude line that expresses the position of a ship moving in the sea, the position of the moving objects (planets) near the Earth is expressed by the Nakshatras.
A unique blend of Indian spirituality, ancient knowledge and nature conservation, the ‘Nakshatra Vatika’ has the following 27 plants that coincide with their respective constellations – Kuchila, Amla, Gular, Jamun, Khair, Agar, Bamboo, Peepal, Nagkesar, Banyan, Dhak, Pakad, Chameli, Bel, Arjun, Har Shringar, Maulshri, Semal, Sal, Sita Ashek, Jackfruit, Madar, Shami, Kadamba, Neem, Mango and Mahua.
The names of the trees related to these Nakshatras, planets and zodiac signs are found in Ayurvedic, spiritual and astrological texts. It is further explained that by nurturing the tree of the birth constellation, the individual gains immense prosperity and good health. It is believed that every person should plant a sapling related to one’s Nakshatra and take care of it.
Through these 27 Nakshatras, the position and movements of the nine planets and 12 zodiac signs are assessed in Indian Astrology. A plant has also been identified for each planet and zodiac sign. This is the reason there are a total of 51 species of flora at the Vatika. Plants related to 9 planets, 12 zodiac signs and as a symbol of divinity, there are three plants in the names of the Deities, Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva.
Tree plantation also provides more oxygen hence positive energy is generated by sitting near these trees. These tree species are rich in secondary metabolites called antioxidants, flavonoids, turpentine and tannins and are widely used in traditional healing systems.
Conservation of these species in the form of a ‘Nakshatra Vatika’ at Raj Bhawan is a unique initiative to enrich biodiversity.
