''Bauhinia racemosa'', commonly known as the bidi leaf tree, is a rare medicinal species of flowering shrub with religious significance. It is a small crooked tree with drooping branches that grows tall and flowers between February and May. It is native to tropical

Southeast Asia Southeast Asia, also spelled South East Asia and South-East Asia, and also known as Southeastern Asia, South-eastern Asia or SEA, is the geographical United Nations geoscheme for Asia#South-eastern Asia, south-eastern region of Asia, consistin ...

Religious significance

In Hindu families it is customary to exchange leaves of the Aapta tree on the

Hindu Hindus (; ) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism.Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pages 35–37 Historically, the term has also been used as a geographical, cultural, and later religious identifier for ...

festive day of

Dussehra Vijayadashami ( sa, विजयदशमी, Vijayadaśamī, translit-std=IAST), also known as Dussehra, Dasara or Dashain, is a major Hindu festival celebrated at the end of Navaratri every year. It is observed on the tenth day in the Hindu ...

. An act known as exchanging ''Gold''—pointing to the special significance of the plant on that particular day. This is also why the tree is often referred to as ''Sonpatta'' (literal translation: ''leaves of gold'').

Other uses

The leaves are used in the production of ''beedi'', a thin Indian cigarette.

References

External links

racemosa Flora of Asia Plants described in 1785 Plants in Hinduism {{Fabaceae-stub