Sacred trees as part of the urban landscape

Photo of a neighbourhood sacred tree by author in New Delhi on 4 November 2018
Other side of the same tree

You can see trees like this all over the urban Indian landscape, regardless of other differences in regional cultures, languages, or customs. They are sacred trees. It seems Hindus believe that trees are sensitive and conscious beings, to be revered for their long life of sheltering life under the hot sun.

These trees, through their adornment by worshippers, become subjects of adoration for not only Indians, but also for outsiders as well. In reflecting on this, the link between the aesthetic and the sacred is shown to have the potential to inspire ethical, eco-conscious, and transcultural responses to the natural world.

Fowler-Smith, 2018

Fowler-Smith, L. (2018). Adorning and Adoring: The Sacred Trees of India. Journal for the Study of Religion, Nature & Culture, 12(3). This article approaches the concept from the aesthetics perspective of arts and design scholarship.

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