A view of grown Amaltas trees at PAU Campus, Ludhiana.
City Air News photo: AJAY.
Ludhiana, June 8, 2013: Plenty of Amaltas trees are visible in the PAU, Ludhiana Campus. These trees give a new look and grace to the whole campus. The whole environment looks full of fragrance. This tree is seen with small and medium size.
According to available information, the botanical name of Amaltas tree is “Cassia fistula”. This tree is generally evergreen. It grows up to a height of 24 meters.
Amaltas tree is commonly found in the southern and central parts across the country. It is also available in the Gangetic valley.
People also call this tree as “golden shower”.
This tree is called Amaltas in Hindi. In Sanskrit, it is called as “aragvadha”. The flowers of this tree are bright yellow in colour. This is why it is called in English as “golden shower”.
Flowers of this tree bloom from the months of April till October.
The fruits of this tree are ripe from the months of December till April.
It is believed that the dried pulp and pods of Amaltas are considered precious for their laxative properties. The extraction of the pods is prescribed for common fever and pneumonia. Swelled neck as a result of severe cold can be treated by applying heated pods. The pulp is regarded as a safe purgative, highly recommended for children and pregnant women to relieve liver upsets and biliousness. It has many more qualities. Besides many other things, it is also used for the treatment of black water fever, malaria, leprosy, diabetes and abdominal obstructions. It is used for the treatment of diseases of the skin like leucoderma and eczema. (However, it is advised here that always get a prior consultation from a doctor before making use of any such thing). On the other hand, a few other people say that these trees are only ornamental ones.
Therefore, there is a dire need of carrying out thorough and proper research in the medicinal qualities of Amaltas trees. A proper and thorough research will lead to many revelations, many people say.
During a visit to PAU Campus, one finds this tree at many locations, including near to Home Science Department, rear side of Engineering College, Boys’ Hostel and Girls’ Hostel. Amaltas trees are also seen grown in a few other premises such as New Rose Garden, Government College for Girls and Government College for Boys, and Leisure Valley in the Ludhiana city.