Deals for 9/06 -- Pix, YCS Kardas and

Go to Google and type in "Karam tree", all sorts of stuff will pop up. Apparently the karam tree is also mentioned in the old testament, an ancient tree indeed.

Sarge
 
Hi Sarge,
I've got one of the 9" YCS kardas in Karam. Kind of like a hard pine or poplar.

Steve

http://www.vrindavan.org/vrindakunja/sukamr/english-amrita/Trees.htm

KADAMBA
Latin Name Adina cordifolia

English Name Anthocephelus kadamba

Indian names Bengali: Kadamba, Kadam
Hindi: Kadam, Kadamba
Malayalam: Attutek
Marathi: Heddi
Oriya: Karam
Sanskrit: Kadamba, Neepa
Tamil: Kadamba, Manja
Telugu: Kadambamu,
Pasupukadamba

Family Rubiaceae

Adina comes from the Greek word Adinos meaning crowded. This refers to the crowding of the flowers in dense balls. Cordifolia
means with heart-shaped leaves, In Sanskrit, Neepa means deep rooted.

The Kadamba tree is associated in Sanskrit literature with the monsoons, It is said to bloom only when it hears the roar of
thunderclouds. The breeze that accompanies the rains is called Kadambanila or with the fragrance of the Kadamba., The rainwater
that collects in the hollow places of the tree when it is in full bloom is called Kadambara and is said to be imbued with honey.

The Kadamba is associated with Krishna who is usually shown playing his flute under it. It is believed that when Kaliya Naga, the
giant snake whose breath was so venomous that all creatures that came within a few miles of it were destroyed-, inhabited the
Kaliyadaha lake (before he was killed by Krishna) and the only thing that grew on a small island in the middle of the lake was the
Kadamba tree. And it was immortal because Garuda, the eagle, had perched on it when he flew back from Svargaloka after drinking
amrita, the drink which immortalizes. As he sat on a branch of the Kadamba, he wiped his beak against its branches and a drop of
amrita fell on the tree and made it immortal.

Another superstition has to do with the founding of the city of Madras. The god Indra killed the asura or demon Vrinda. He was
cursed for Brahmahatya, the slaying of a Brahmin. To shake off the curse he was told to find the most sacred spot on earth. Indra
wandered all over and in his travels he passed through a forest of Kadamba trees. Suddenly the curse lifted from him and he
became free. He looked around him to see where the sacred spot could be. He saw the god Shiva in the form of a Lingam, reclining
under the shade of a beautiful Kadamba tree. Indra. built a huge canopy over this Lingam and the first modern temple came into
being. The forest became in time the city of Madras.

The Kadam festival in Orissa and West Bengal is celebrated by agricultural communities. On the eleventh day of the bright
fortnight of Bhadra, the Kadam tree is planted ceremoniously. Leaves of the Sal tree are offered to it along with cucumber and
vermilion. This is followed by music and dance. The worship of the Kadam tree is supposed to ensure wealth and children.

The paired leaves are large and shiny, broadly oval and heart-shaped at the base. They are slightly hairy and when young, tinged with pink.
They are characterized by very prominent parallel veins.
The flowers are small and golden yellow, clustered together in rounded heads slightly smaller than a golf ball. Their styles form a halo round the
ball leading to the description of "a treasure so wondrous, of hairy golden orbs."
The fruit is minute, clustering together to form black balls.
The timber is used for matches and plywood. The bark of the tree is used as an antiseptic.
 
By golly, that added much to my education. Many thanks for a great post Steve. :thumbup:

Sarge
 
Sarge the Karam sounds like a wood that you might want to use Scotch-Brite on instead of steel wool. The Scotch-Brite doesn't shed or discolor like steel wool often does on a light colored wood.
 
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