The ‘Arali mara’ or peepal tree, known in English as the sacred fig tree, has a long and rich history in the Indian Subcontinent. Its Latin taxonomy is, quite fittingly, Ficus Religiosa, but it was not mere chance that gave the peepal its ethos of spirituality. For centuries past, it was under the boughs of the peepal tree that village folk would gather to make discourse, settle disputes, and regale each other with songs and stories. But in time, it would embed itself forever in our minds and in history when the Buddha gained enlightenment under the immortal Bodhi tree.