Patna: A large banyan tree (Ficus benghalensis) on the ITC campus in Munger has been confirmed as one of the oldest living trees with a scientific age of about 700 years, established through radiocarbon dating.
The finding came after a 2022 survey by the Bihar Biodiversity Board that reviewed 32 old trees in the state. Three trees from Munger, including this banyan, were chosen for further examination.
Scientists from the Birbal Sahni Institute of Palaeosciences in Lucknow gathered trunk and aerial root samples. Radiocarbon analysis dated the tree to nearly seven centuries.
Researcher Trina Bose noted that the project was launched by the forest department. She explained that standard ring counting does not work for such trees due to their complex root systems and multiple trunks. Radio-dating was therefore used to determine the precise age.
The work also improves radiocarbon methods for tropical hardwoods by focusing on exact pith sampling and better calibration, aiding studies of long-lived trees and forest ecosystems.
The tree covers roughly 100 square metres, reaches about 60 feet in height, and has hundreds of aerial roots that became supporting trunks. It has endured events such as the 1934 earthquake.
Divisional forest officer A K Mall said steps are underway to designate the tree as a heritage specimen and protect it. Its age and size make it a key natural landmark in Munger.
BSIP director Mahesh G Thakkar called the banyan a living record of Indian heritage and stressed the value of linking research with conservation efforts.
