The oldest tree known to have been planted by humans rather than natural sowing is a 2,300-year-old sacred fig or bo-tree (Ficus religiosa) in Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka, known as Sri Maha Bodhiya. It was planted there around 288 BC. The mother tree from which this specimen was reproduced was none other than the famed Bodhi tree, under which Siddhartha Gautama, the Lord Buddha, sat when he attained enlightenment. Naturally, because of its spiritual importance, the Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi holds a special place in the hearts of the world's Buddhists, particularly those in Sri Lanka. Every year, Buddhists from all over the world come to visit and pay their respects to one of the most precious ancient relics of the Buddhist faith. According to history, Sangamitte Theri, daughter of Emperor Asoka, transported the tree all the way from India to Sri Lanka in the 3rd century BC. Sangmitta established her own order of Buddhist nuns in her native Sri Lanka. The tree was then officially planted by K...
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