Sthala Vriksha

In South Indian village folklore, there is a tree or forest associated with goddesses like Kali, Amman, Mariamman, or Ellai Pidari.

When the trees or the forests are not properly maintained, the residents are believed to get punished in the form of a poor harvest or famine.

The other common Sthala Vrikshas are neem (Azadirachta indica), peepal (Ficus religiosa), marudhu (Terminalia paniculata) and kanikonna (Cassia fistula).

[8] Dakshinamurthy is an aspect of the Hindu god Shiva as a guru (teacher) of all types of knowledge.

This aspect of Shiva, as the original guru, is his personification as the supreme or the ultimate awareness, understanding and knowledge.

Later religious texts compiled in the Tevaram by saint-poets like Appar, Sundarar, Sambandar, and Manikkavacakar make multiple mentions of various temple trees.

Vasudha Narayanan has suggested that a Sthala Vriksha is usually considered as a representation of a larger presence of species.

[15] Ramayana, the Hindu epic, offers descriptions of all the trees of the forests in the regions traversed by Rama, denoting their significance.