This attractive tree has been a garden and avenue favourite for several hundred years in the Indian subcontinent. It has immense religious significance for Hindus, who offer the sweet-smelling flowers to Lord Vishnu and his incarnations. Some mythological texts mention how Lord Krishna’s friend Sudama rested under a Bakul tree before he went to meet him. Another tale connects the tree with Lord Krishna - Siddha Bakula is the hut of Srila Haridasa Thakura, where he chanted 3,00,000 names of Krishna daily and it is located near the Jagannath Temple in Odisha, in the shade of a Bakul tree planted by Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu himself.
Also, the Bakul tree is a source of traditional medicine and finds mention in the Ayurveda texts. Its bark, fruit and seed concoctions have been used to treat a host of ailments ranging from sinusitis relief to diarrhoea, and chemical studies have confirmed their antibiotic, analgesic, and anti-inflammatory properties among others. It has especially been found to be useful in gingivitis, bleeding gums, loose teeth and dental caries, making it an ancient dentist’s delight.