Jala nadi – underground water veins.

Under ground water veins can be identified by certain trees such as Banyan, Palasa, Peepal and Arjuna trees. 

Marutham or Arjuna tree.

The following list has been made out from the inputs from Varahamihira’s Brihad Samhita. The most common feature is the presence of anthills and snake holes near trees that are grown naturally. These trees find regular mention in texts like Silappadhikaram. This shows that our ancients had conserved these trees and identified water sources. Barring a very few – like a very rare banyan tree or peepal tree or palasa tree, most of the other trees have vanished in cities. Hope they continue to be there in the rural areas. 

  

Palasa flowers.

This list is given to spread awareness about these trees as water identifiers and also for research purpose.

Related posts  to understand this list better:-

Science of detecting underground water veins.

Ecological angle to Ganesha worship

Tholkaapiyar tree (World Tamil Conference series 15)

S.N	Name of the tree	Under ground water veins.
1	Cerbera manghas (காட்டு அரளி)	At 4-1/2 ft to the west of the tree, at 9 ft depth, there is a water-vein.
2	Syzygium cumini  (நாவல் மரம்)	4.1/2 ft north of the tree, at 12 feet depth.
3	Syzygium cumini + ant hill to the east of the tree.	4-1/2 ft to the south of the ant-hill, at 12 ft depth.
4	Ficus racemosa (அத்தி மரம்)	4-1/2 ft to the west of the tree at 15 ft depth
5	Terminalia arjuna (மருத மரம்) + ant hill at the north.	4-1/2 ft to the west of the ant-hill, at 21 ft depth.
6	Vitex negundo (நொச்சி) grown over an ant hill	4-1/2 ft to the south of theat hill at 13-1/2 ft depth.
7	Ziziphus jujube (இலந்தை மரம்) + ant-hill in the east	18 ft to the west of the tree.
8	Ziziphus jujube+ Erythrina indica found together	To the west of the trees at 21 ft depth.
9	Aegle marmelos (வில்வ மரம்) + Ficus racemosa (அத்தி மரம்) found together in a place	4-1/2 ft to the south of them at 18 ft depth.
10	Kampillaka tree (மஞ்சணை (எ) குங்கும மரம்)	4-1/2 ft to the east of the tree.
11	Terminalia bellirica (தான்றிக்காய்) + ant hill at the south of the tree.	To the east of the ant hill at 9 ft depth.
12	Terminalia bellirica + ant hill at a 1-1/2 ft away from the tree.	To the north of the ant hill at 27 ft depth.
13	Bauhinia purpurea + ant hill at North east with Darbha grass.	In between the tree and the ant-hill at 27 ft depth..
14	Vitis pedata (மூக்கம்பாலை / எடகுலபலா) surrounded by anthills,	To the north of the tree at 30 ft depth.
15	If frogs and toads live under a tree	At a distance of 1-1/2 ft from the tree, at 27 ft depth, there is water current.
16	Cassia fistula + snake hole at the south.	3 ft to the south of the snake hole, at 21 ft depth..
17	Bassia latifolia (காட்டு இலுப்பை மரம்) + snake hole at the north	7-1/2 ft to the west of the snake hole, at 45 ft depth.
18	Tilaka pushpam (மயிலெள்ளு) + anthill in the south with darbha grass and arugam grass.	To the west of the ant hill at 30 ft depth
19	Adina cordifolia (கடம்ப மரம்) + snake hole in the west.	To the south of the snake hole at a distance of 4-1/2 ft water vein found at a depth of 34-1/2 ft
20	Palmyra surrounded by ant hills	9 ft to the west of the tree at 24 ft. depth.
21	Feronia limonia (wood apple) + snake hole at the south	10-1/2 ft to the north of the snake hole, at 30 ft depth.
22	Bauhinia purpurea (மந்தார மரம்) + Ziziphus jujuba (இலந்தை மரம்) in the north and / or a snake	9 ft to the south of  Ziziphus jujube or snake hole, 2 water currents – one at 6 ft depth and another at 21 ft depth.
23	Curcuma longa (மஞ்சள்) + ant hill at the north	4-1/2 ft to the east of the ant hill at 34-1/2 ft depth, 2 water currents.   .
24	Vetiveria zizanioides + Cynodon dactylon found in abundance in a place	At 6 ft depth in the same place.
25.	Trivrita + Bharangi (Limonia acidissima)  found in abundance	To the south at 18 ft depth.
26	Tinduka (பணிச்சை), Albizia lebbeck (வாகை) Ashoka or Vanjula (அசோக மரம்)  Abutilon indicum (துத்திக் கீரை) found in abundance and surrounded by ant hills	4-1/2 ft at the north at 27 ft depth.
27	Yellow-berried nightshade (கண்டங்கத்திரி செடி) appears without thorns and with white flowers	Water veins at 18 ft depth at the same place.
28	A well grown Karnikara tree (சரகொன்னை மரம்) or a Palasa tree ( பலாச மரம்), seen with white flowers.	Water at 3 ft distance to the north of the tree and at 18 ft depth.
29	Snake hole to the north of KarIra tree (கமுகு)	To the south of the snake hole at 60 ft depth.
30	Snake hole to the west of Rohitaka tree (செம்மரம் எனப்படும் மலம்புலுவம்)	At a distance of 4-1/2 ft to the south of the snake hole, at 72 ft depth. The current will be in the western direction.
31	If Indian Date tree and Rohitaka are seen in one place.	At 4-1/2 ft to the west of the trees at 96 ft depth water currents at two levels. And scorpion will be sighted.
32	If Badari and KarIra are seen to grow together at one place.	At 4-1/2 ft to the west of the trees at 114 ft depth. The current will be in North eastern direction.
33	If DUrva and Kusa grass grow white on ant hills.	Water at the same place at 126 ft depth..
34	If Kadamba tree and anthill with plenty of DUrva grass are seen together	At 4-1/2 ft to the west of this site at 150 ft depth.
35	3 ant hills around a Rohita tree.	4 ft to the north of the site at 240 ft depth.
36	If Sami tree is covered with knots and an ant hill is to the north of it.	At 7-1/2 ft to the west of the ant hill at 300 ft depth.
37	Several ant hills in a spot and the central one is white.	At 55 ft depth at the same place.
38	If Palasa and Sami tree are seen together in one place.	At the west of the trees at 360 ft depth. Snakes also sighted.
39	If Sami tree looks pale and with thorns.	To the south of the tree at 450 ft depth.
40	If Banyana and peepal tree are seen to grow together	Water veins at the north of the trees.
41	If banyan, Udumbara and Palasa trees are growing together at one place.	At the same spot water veins are running.
42	Several ant hills at one place and the central one is tall	At the same spot water veins are running
43	If Bamboos are grown naturally at a place.	Water at 4-1/2 ft to the north of these trees.
44	A seven branched banana is grown naturally and an ant hill is spotted nearby.	Water veins to the north of it running in northern direction.
45	If ant hills are found around palm tree or coconut tree.	Water veins at the west of the tree.
46	If a date tree is seen with two crowns and grown naturally.	At 3 ft to the west of it at 22-1/2 ft depth.
47	If Ricinus communis (ஆமணக்கு) and  Cissus quadrangularis (பிரண்டைச் செடி) grow together at one place naturally	At 4-1/2 ft to the north of these plants.
48	If Azadirachta indica (வேப்ப மரம்) and Jambu (நெல்லி மரம்) tree grow together naturally	Water vein at the north
49	A snake hole to the south of derris indica (புங்க மரம்)	At 3 ft to the south of snake hole at 21 ft depth.
50	Most common indication for underground water is the presence of ant hills around a tree.