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:-
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.
|