Mathura (UP), Aug 6 (PTI) The district administration here has planted 400 saplings of kadamb, the tropical flowering tree associated with Lord Krishna, officials said on Sunday.

Saplings of kadamb, also known as bur flower, were planted on a nearly 8-km stretch of the Vrindavan-Mathura road here during a programme held on Saturday, which was attended by noted saints and social workers and Shailja Kant Mishra, the vice-president of UP Braj Teerth Vikas Parishad, they added.

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Constituted by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, the UP Braj Teerth Vikas Parishad is tasked with development of pilgrim centres in Braj, a region mainly around Mathura-Vrindavan, and a tree plantation drive here with mythology as the motif.

Referring to folklore, Fuldol Maharaj, the head of Chatuh Sampraday, an offshoot of the Vaishnav sect, said that Lord Krishna used to play flute under the Kadamb tree in the presence of Radha Rani.

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Krishna also performed 'Raas Lila' in the Kadamkhandi area of Vrindavan, which now has only a few Kadamb trees, the saint said while explaining the mythological significance of the tree.

Environmentalist and principal of KR Postgraduate College here, Praveen Agrawal said the 8-km-long 'Kadamb Path' between Mathura and Vrindavan will help in overcoming pollution caused by heavy traffic on the road.

"The survival of all the saplings, planted on both the sides of the road, was ensured by fixing a tree guard with every sapling," District Magitrate Pulkit Khare said.

Khare added that the saplings were provided by the PWD department, while the tree guards were provided by philanthropists.

According to Ayurveda specialist Shyam Bihari, the skin of the kadamb tree can help in improving one's digestive system.

Also known as Nakshatra tree, its flowers are used as raw material for manufacturing 'itra' or perfume, Bihari said.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)