• Mandu Ki Imli – History of African Baobab Tree.

About African Baobab Tree.

•  A baobab tree near Mandu’s famed Jahaz Mahal complex, built in the second half of the 15th century by the Khalji dynasty.

•  The Sultan had a great fascination for exotic, foreign visitors. And it was a visitor from Madagascar who gifted him a few baobab
seeds that he had first planted at Jahaz Mahal and then at other spots in Mandu.

•  the bulbous trunks and scraggly branches of African Baobabs are something that one would never expect to find here.

• Known locally as Mandu ki Imli or Khorasani Imli, these baobab trees can be found hulking over pathways, remains of ancient
forts, temples and even farmland.

• The local name for the Baobab fruit is Khorasani Imli which leads one to believe it has roots in the ancient land of Khorasan
(Ancient Persia).

• Locally it is called Khorasani Imli and is used to add tang in dal and curries. Also, the vendors in Mandu sell the gourd-like fruit,
after they have ripened in February. 

• Some locals believe that the medicinal properties of the fruit, especially its ability to quench thirst, was the reason why the local
rulers had it imported from Africa to manage water shortage in the region.

• Others cite tales of Egyptian Caliphs who gifted the baobab tree to the Sultans of Mandu.
 LOCAL BELIEFS
• Many local beliefs even associate the Mandu tree with mythological stories. Some speak of Lord Krishna voyaging
to Africa and returning back home with the seeds to this tree.

• Others refer to the story of Samudra manthan wherein the Gods and Demons came together to churn the sea and
manifest many blessings like Amrit , kaamdhenu several gems and jewels and the Baobab tree or kalpvriksh. 

• Notice the stark similarities between the cultural beliefs surrounding the Baobab Tree, as they exist in African
Cultures and Indian Mythology. Both regard the tree with reverence for its life giving powers, giving it the name
– Tree of Life.

• If one set of ideologies is to be believed, the Baobab Tree is what is referred to as Parijaat or the wish bearing tree.
And its only earthly manifestation is found in the Village of Kintoor, near Barabanki in Uttar Pradesh.

• The Harivansh Puraan talks about this tree being brought to the earth by Lord Krishna, to please his wife
Satyabhaama.