Nature · Devdaha
Under Devdaha's giant pakari tree
A stop at the vast pakari fig south of Khaireni bazaar, one of the largest trees in the region, whose spreading branches and hanging roots make a cool shelter and a local place of worship.
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South of Khaireni bazaar stands a fig tree so large that it seems to be a small forest. Its trunk is many metres round, its branches spread far over the ground, and local people have long treated it as sacred, offering red powder, flowers and threads at its base.
Local beliefs gather around it: that it dates from the time of the Shakyas, that birds never nest in it and that vultures and crows never perch on it. Nobody has measured its age with certainty, so take the stories as stories, but the tree itself is real enough.
In the late afternoon families come to sit in its shade, and children play among the roots. It is a good place to end a day in Devdaha.
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Questions
How old is the Devdaha pakari tree?
Its exact age is unknown. Local belief links it with the time of the Shakyas, more than 2,000 years ago, but no scientific dating has confirmed this, and fig trees of this kind grow and spread quickly. Treat the age claims as local tradition rather than fact.
Where is the pakari tree in Devdaha?
It stands a short drive, about 5 minutes, south of Khaireni bazaar in Devdaha Municipality. Local people all know it, so asking for the pakari briksha will get you there. It is easy to combine with the Maya Devi circuit.
Is the pakari tree a religious site?
Yes. Local people worship at the tree with offerings of red powder, flowers and threads, and it is linked in local belief with the Buddha's time. Behave as you would at a shrine: do not climb it, do not disturb offerings, and ask before photographing people praying.
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