Ancient trees signify place; embody memory and serve
as silent witnesses to centuries of human activity.

This tree—Ficus benghalensis, also known as Nuga in
Sinhala, Al in Tamil, and Banyan tree in English—is a
native roadside tree in Sri Lanka and India. The name
"Banyan" is derived from the Banyas, a group of Indian
traders who once traded under the shade of these
trees.

It begins its life as an epiphyte; seeds, carried by bats
and birds, land on a host tree, and the Banyan then
sprouts aerial roots that anchor it to the ground.

These roots create what appears to be a community of
trees but are, in fact, parts of one enormous organism
coexisting with its host.

Sacred to both Hindus and Buddhists in Sri Lanka, small
shrines are often nestled among its roots.