Kabirvad
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Kabirvad | |
|---|---|
 Hodi Ghat, Kabirvad | |
 Interactive map of Kabirvad | |
| Species | Banyan (Ficus benghalensis) |
| Location | Kabirvad river island, Bharuch district, Gujarat, India |
| Coordinates | 21°45′48″N 73°08′24″E / 21.7633869°N 73.140089°E |
| Custodian | Forest Department, Government of Gujarat |
Kabirvad is a banyan tree located on a small river island in the Narmada River, in Bharuch district, Gujarat, India. The tree and place is associated with 15th-century mystic-poet Kabir, and the location includes a temple dedicated to him. The place is a religious site as well as a popular tourist spot.
Nearchus, an admiral of Alexander the Great, described a large specimen on the banks of the Narmada River, possibly Kabirvad. The tree's canopy was so extensive, it sheltered 7,000 men. It was later described by James Forbes (1749–1819) in his Oriental Memoirs (1813–1815) as nearly 610 m (2,000 ft) in circumference, with over 3,000 trunks.[1] Currently, the area of its canopy is 17,520 m2 (4.33 acres), with a perimeter of 641 m (2,103 ft).[2]
