Autumn is here with it’s nippy Dawn and Dusk. Walk through any road in the evenings and you cannot miss the unmistakable all pervasive heady fragrance. The source of this strong scent are the cluster of creamy yellowish flowers of Saptaparni—or Alstonia scholaris— trees that line our avenues. Every year, during Autumn season, the tree unfurls its fragrant flowers, casting an intoxicating scent into the evening air. The tiny blooms, clustered like starlit constellations on each branch, draw moths and night insects to their perfumed allure, filling the dusk with a sweet and earthy aroma. But for all its beauty, there’s something haunting about this tree, which towers solemnly against the evening sky.
Legends whisper that the Devil’s Tree holds mysteries within its dark bark and dense, verdant canopy. In many villages, people pass by it quickly after nightfall, believing it to be the home of spirits—some say they’re the restless souls drawn to the scent that lingers long after the last light fades. Yet, to others, Saptaparni is a healer, a silent guardian of age-old remedies hidden in its bark, leaves, and roots. It stands at the edge of the known and the unknown, caught between folklore and science, feared and revered, as if it has learned to keep its secrets close.
This highlights the dual nature of Saptaparni, both as a mysterious figure in folklore and as a respected source of traditional healing. But for all of us at South City, it’s a nature’s blessing that opens it’s perfumery annually and heralds the onset of festival season and ensuing cold winds that will follow soon.
