700-year-old banyan tree in Bihar scientifically dated as India's oldest

For the first time, scientists have accurately determined the age of a banyan tree using radiocarbon dating, establishing a 700-year-old specimen in Munger, Bihar, India, as the oldest accurately dated banyan tree.

This scientific breakthrough, detailed in a PIB press release, moves beyond folklore and historical records, which have traditionally been used to estimate the ages of these iconic trees. Banyan trees, vital to India's social and cultural life and supporting diverse ecosystems, have long posed a dating challenge. Unlike many temperate trees, tropical broadleaf species like banyans lack distinct annual growth rings, rendering conventional dendrochronological methods ineffective.

The new methodology was developed by Dr. Trina Bose and her colleagues at the Birbal Sahni Institute of Palaeosciences in Lucknow. They extracted alpha-cellulose from wood samples near the pith of a secondary trunk and an ancient primary branch. This cellulose was then analyzed using high-precision radiocarbon dating via Accelerator Mass Spectrometry (AMS), calibrated with the latest IntCal20 curve and OxCal software.

The findings also challenge previous historical assumptions. It was widely believed that the Munger banyan was planted only 300 to 350 years ago in front of the historic Burra Bunglow, a structure from the late Mughal-Early British period. The new scientific dating provides a robust and reliable estimate, confirming its significantly older age and historical depth.