Chandigarh's Living Museum: How a Manuka Tree Connects India and New Zealand

The sapling, propagated in the Plant Breeding Centre of the museum, was planted in the kiwi grove, an enclosure dedicated to the iconic trees of New Zealand. The grove already features three remarkable New Zealand species -- kauri, totara, and black beech.

Museum of Trees curator D.S. Jaspal, author of "Tryst with Trees: Punjab's Sacred Heritage", told IANS that the Kiwi Grove has been conceived as a space of learning and exploration, helping visitors experience the biodiversity of distant lands and to understand how trees connect cultures and continents.

Funded by the Ministry of Culture and promoted by the Chandigarh Nature and Health Society, the Museum of Trees is the world's first project dedicated to preserving and propagating sacred, rare, and culturally significant trees through scientific conservation. With over 350 species from India and around the world -- including true genotypes of 12 sacred trees of Sikhism, successfully reproduced through cloning -- the museum serves as a living repository of botanical and cultural heritage.

Speaking on the occasion, Aman Jaspal, Assistant Curator of the museum, said, "The Kiwi Grove symbolises the living friendship between India and New Zealand, reminding us that ecological harmony knows no borders."

The Manuka sapling was ceremonially planted by Joanna Gill, sister-in-law of former New Zealand cricket captain Glenn Turner, marking a symbolic moment of ecological friendship between India and New Zealand.

The addition of the Manuka reinforces the museum's mission to connect global cultures through the shared heritage of trees and to showcase the world's diverse tree heritage in the heart of Chandigarh -- nurturing awareness, curiosity, and care for the natural world.

- IANS