Banyan

Banyan is used for Happiness, Luck

Folk Names: Arched Fig, Indian Fig Tree, Indian God Tree, Vada Tree
Gender: M
Planet: Jupiter
Element: Air
Deities: Maui
Powers: Luck
Ritual Uses: The banyan is reverenced by the Hindus, and the tree is planted outside around their temples. It is also connected with the worship of Maui in Hawaiian and Polynesian religions.
Magical Uses: To simply sit beneath or look at a banyan tree brings good luck, and to be married under one ensures the couple's happiness.

The Banyan tree is one of the most magical trees – not only in the way its aerial roots create an astounding structure, but also in the properties that each and every part of the tree holds. It is one of the few elements in nature which is useful in every single aspect.

In Indian culture, the Banyan tree is considered to be sacred and leaves of the tree is considered to be the resting place of god Krishna. In fact, it is also believed that Buddha achieved enlightenment while sitting under a Banyan tree.

The banyan tree occupies the pride of place amongst the sacred trees of India. It has aerial roots that grow down into the soil forming additional trunks. It is, therefore, called bahupada, the one with several feet. It symbolizes a long life and also represents the divine creator, Brahma. It is invariably planted in front of temples. The numerous stems of the banyan tree are even regarded as the home of gods and spirits. It was under a banyan tree that the Hindu sages sat in a trance seeking enlightenment and it was here that they held discourses and conducted holy rituals.

In Hindu mythology, the tree is called Kalpavriksha, the tree that provides fulfillment of wishes and other material gains. The worship of the tree is also represented in a Buddhist sculpture with its long hanging roots dropping gold pieces in vessels placed below.

The tree symbolises the Trimurti. Vishnu is believed to be the bark, Brahma, the roots, and Shiva, the branches.

The banyan is said to have nourished mankind with its 'milk' before the advent of grain and other food. According to the Agni Purana, the banyan symbolises fertility and is worshipped by those who want children. For the same reason, it is never cut. Even its leaves, which are used as cattle fodder, are broken only when there is a famine. It is believed that if the tree is cut, a goat should be sacrificed  in atonement.

Other symbols of Batak (Lake Toba, North Sumatra) mythology include the baringin or banyan tree as the cosmic tree uniting the levels of the Batak cosmos, the hornbill, aboriginal boy-girl twins, star constellations, magic numbers, and the magic colours red, white, and black. Besides the traditional houses, these symbols are found on textiles, funerary masks, boats with hornbill figureheads, the wooden staffs of datu, and megalithic monuments.