Baobab Bonsai, Shuka Vana, Mysuru

In the second week of May, I was checking Whatsapp status of a friend from Pune. This friend, Pramod is an avid traveler and an explorer of forts. His status had displayed a series of Baonsai trees, some 20+ plants. Out of curiosity I asked where the Bonsai garden was. It was Shuka Vana which is a part of Sri Ganapathy Sachchidananda Ashrama, Mysuru. The collection was truly impressive and started the slideshow for the second time. I zoomed into one of them and to my surprise it was a Baobab! As it is Baobab is a uncommon tree in India. A Bonsai Baobab would be a rare thing. Of the 20+ trees, 3 were Baobabs and 7 or 8 were varieties of Ficus.

Of the three plants, two have name boards stating that these are Baobab trees. The scientific name is Adansonia Digitata. They have been planted during May 1942 the birth year of Sri Sri Sri Ganapathy Sachchidananda Swamiji. These little plants are 80 years old. Amazing! 

The first plant is bent and crooked. The lower part is a maze of roots and trunk. The upper half has recognizable as a Baobab. The main trunk is slanting so much that it's almost horizontal.
The second one is a perfect scale down model of a Baobab. Its branches have been restrained by threads. Probably this is a technique used to perfect a Bonsai.

The third one, according my understanding is a Baobab. The name plate seems to be on the opposite side. 

I would like to thank my friend Pramod for sharing hires pictures and allowing them to be posted here. Besides historical places we have other common interests- cycling and Hollywood movies :)
Having seen miniature Baobabs, you must see normal trees as well. These three Baobab trees are situated inside the premises of Dodda Hunashe Matha, Savanur. These pictures were shot 15th April 2023. They are bare at this time of the year. New leaves should start sprouting in the month of May.

One of my friends from Mysuru had given an open invitation to his place. He wanted me and another friend Sridhar to spend a couple of days there, we all cold see a few places in and around Mysuru. I recalled that Sri Ganapathy Sachchidananda Ashrama was one of the places. Well, the Baobab Bonsai has worked like a catalyst, I'll be deciding the dates of the trip soon.

While on the topic of Baobab, do check out the Baobab trees of Karnataka & Telangana.

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