A banyan tree in Bihar’s Munger district has been scientifically identified as the oldest accurately dated banyan tree known so far, with an estimated age of around 700 years. The finding represents a major breakthrough in determining the age of tropical heritage trees and could strengthen efforts to protect ancient trees with ecological, historical and cultural significance.

According to the Ministry of Science and Technology, the age of the Munger Banyan, scientifically known as Ficus benghalensis, was established using high-precision radiocarbon dating. Unlike previous estimates of ancient trees that often depended on historical records, folklore or local traditions, researchers used scientific analysis to determine a reliable age for the tree.

The research was led by Dr Trina Bose of the Birbal Sahni Institute of Palaeosciences in Lucknow, along with researchers Dr Mayank Shekhar and Dr Akhilesh K. Yadava. The team developed a method for accurately determining the age of tropical broadleaf trees, which are difficult to date using traditional techniques because most do not produce clearly defined annual growth rings.

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To overcome this challenge, researchers collected wood samples from near the centre of a secondary trunk and from an ancient primary branch of the Munger Banyan. Scientists extracted alpha-cellulose, a stable component of plant cell walls, and analysed the material using Accelerator Mass Spectrometry radiocarbon dating. The results were then calibrated using modern scientific tools to establish the tree’s estimated age.

The findings challenge earlier assumptions that the banyan was planted near the historic Burra Bunglow around 300 to 350 years ago. Instead, the study indicates that the tree is significantly older than the building and may be a surviving remnant of a natural forest that once covered the region. Its age also highlights the importance of preserving ancient trees as records of changing landscapes and environmental conditions.

Published in the journal Quaternary Research, the study provides a reliable scientific approach that could be used to date other heritage trees across tropical regions. Researchers believe the method could support conservation, biodiversity protection, heritage management and studies of past climates and landscapes. The discovery also reinforces the ecological and cultural importance of banyan trees, which have long served as habitats for wildlife and gathering places for communities across India.

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