KOVIDAR: From Royal Heritage to Majestic Healer

A beautiful flower of Kovidar

(Photo courtesy: Jaydip D. Gadhiya, MS University of Baroda)

The plant most searched for, discussed, and in the headlines on news channels and social media platforms in November 2025 is Kovidar (कोविदार). Kovidar sprang into the limelight after its inscription on the Dharma Dhwaja (धर्म ध्वज) of the Shree Ram Temple at Ayodhya. It was prominently associated with the ancient kingdom of Ayodhya and the Ramayana, where it formed the royal insignia or emblem of the kingdom during the Treta Yuga, during the time of Lord Rama. It symbolized  royal power, righteousness, and Ayodhya's ancient natural heritage. Botanically, it belongs to the genus Bauhinia in the family Fabaceae (Legumonosae). The name ‘Kovidar’ has been used interchangeably or for both Bauhinia variegata and Bauhinia purpurea, in our reprinted Sanskrit and Ayurvedic literature. Most of the internet search results lead us to Bauhinia variegata based on the misapplication of the botanical name at later stages. I have personally gone through many English-translated books on Ayurvedic plants and mostly found Bauhinia variegata mentioned as Kovidar. However, ancient inscriptions, scriptures, sculptures and Mewar Ramayana paintings point out that the Kovidar of Ayodhya was Bauhinia purpurea. Indologist Lalit Mishra, who collaborated with the researchers from Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi and rediscovered the ancient flag of Ayodhya, concluded on the basis of new evidence that the royal Kovidar tree of Ayodhya was Bauhinia purpurea and not the closely related Bauhinia variegata. This misapplication of the scientific name might be due to the fact that our ancient literature was written thousands of years ago in Sanskrit before the start of Binomial Nomenclature by a Swedish biologist and physician, Carolus Linnaeus, in 1753. Later on, many Indian names of plants were supplemented with botanical names in the 19th and 20th centuries in these ancient texts, and some scientific names got misapplied during the process (other examples where botanical names have been misapplied are Phyllanthus niruri (Central and South American species), Taxus baccata (European plant), etc.).

NAMES IN DIFFERENT LANGUAGES

English: Purple orchid tree, Butterfly tree, Pink butterfly tree, Purple bauhinia, Purple butterfly tree, Camel's foot tree, Geranium tree, Hindi: Kanchan, Lal kachnar, Kevnar, Kaniar, Khairwal, Kaniyar, Sanskrit: Devakanchan, Raktakanchan,Raktakovidara, Vanaraja Assamese: Kurial, Kanchan, Og-yok H.P.: Karaal Bengali: Koiral, Aaktakanchana Garo: Megong Gujrati: Lal Kanchnar Kannada: Kanchivaala, Kanchavala, Kanchaala, Kengaanchaala, Devakanchan, Kanjivala, Kempu mandaara, Sarul Malayalam: Chovanna-mandaru, Suvannamandaram Marathi: Devakanchan, Rakta kanchan Manipuri: Chingthao angangba Nepali: Taankee, Raato Koiraalo Oriya: Vaube, borodo Tamil: Mandarai, Nilattiruvatti, Mandara, Mandari, Telgu: Bodanta, Devakanjanamu, Kanchanam Siddha: Sivappumanchori Source: eFloraofIndia

DISTRIBUTION

Kovidar tree is endemic to Indian sub-continent.

A mature tree of Kovidar

(Photograph courtesy: My revered teacher Dr. Bhushan Bradoo Sir)

MORPHOLOGY

Kovidar is a small to medium-sized deciduous or semi-evergreen tree growing to a height of up to 15 meters. Stem is moderately branched with smooth and greyish to dark brownish bark. The leaves are suborbicular, bilobed, 7.5–15 cm long and have 9-11 primary veins. Pink, fragrant blossoms appear during the autumn and early winter. Flowers are arranged in few-flowered racemes or many-flowered panicles. Flower buds are fusiform, 4- or 5-ridged and are light green in colour. Calyx is 2-lobed; one with 2 teeth and another 3-toothed. Petals are mostly light pink in colour, oblanceolate in shape, 4-5 cm in length and clawed. Each flower has 3 fertile stamens and 5-6 staminodes. Ovary is stalked, velvety and the style is curved. Fruit is a linear, flat, 12-25 × 2-2.5 cm in size and woody legume. Seeds are compressed, suborbicular and 12-15 mm in diameter.

Fertile stamens

(Photograph courtesy: My revered teacher Dr. Bhushan Bradoo Sir)

CHEMICAL CONSTITUENTS

Kovidar contains a variety of phytochemical constituents, including flavonoids (flavones, flavonols, catechins, etc.), stilbenes, phenolic compounds (flavonoids), alkaloids, tannins, steroids, and fatty acids.

Fruits of Bauhinia purpurea

(Photograph courtesy: My revered teacher Dr. Bhushan Bradoo Sir)

MEDICINAL USES

1. Traditional Medicinal Uses

In traditional medicine in India and other adjoining countries, Kovidar is used to cure wounds, sores, ulcers, pain, infections, jaundice, diabetes, cough, leprosy, stomach tumours, glandular swelling and diarrhoea.

2. Anti-oxidant Activity

Due to the presence of flavonoids and phenolic compounds, flowers exhibit remarkable antioxidant activity compared to ascorbic acid.

3. Anti-inflammatory Activity

Inflammation in various human organs contributes to many chronic diseases such as cancer, cardiovascular disorders, arthritis, and other autoimmune conditions. Kovidar bark exhibits excellent anti-inflammatory activity.

4. Hepatoprotective Activity

Kovidar is reported to reverse the PCM-induced hepatotoxic effect in lab animals by lowering the elevated levels of liver enzymes ALT, AST, and ALP. Leaf extracts also prevent peroxidative degradation of membrane lipids of endoplasmic reticulum in liver cells via antioxidant activity of its phytochemicals.

5. Anti-diabetic Properties

Many experimental studies with animal models have proved that Kovidar exhibits considerable anti-diabetic activity and significantly reduces blood glucose.

6. Antinociceptive and Antipyretic Properties

Leaf extract of Kovidar exhibits antinociceptive (pain relieving) and antipyretic properties in experimental animals.

7. Nephroprotective Activity

Leaves and unripe pods contain phytochemicals that protect the kidneys by lowering serum creatinine, serum uric acid and serum urea.

8. Anti- Ulcer Activity

Traditional healers use Kovidar plants for treating ulcers. Recent experimental studies on animal models have exhibited antiulcer activity, which could be due to the presence of saponins or sugar-free polyphenols.

9. Antimicrobial Activity

Leaf and bark extract of Kovidar has shown considerable anti-microbial activity against Staphylococcus aureus, Bacilus subtilis, and Candida albicans.

10. Anti-hyperlipidemic Activity

Unripe pods and dried leaves are reported to exhibit antihyperlipidemic activity in Albino rats.

11. Anti-Cancer Activity

Some scientific studies have shown concentration-dependent antiproliferative effects in cancer cell lines.

(Photo courtesy: Jaydip D. Gadhiya, MS University of Baroda)

Differences Between Common Species of Bauhinia

Character/Species	Bauhinia variegata	Bauhinia purpurea	Bauhinia x blakeana
Flowering in North India	February-April	October-December	November-December
Leaf size	10-15 cm	10-15 cm	15-20 cm
Leaf Cleft	1/3rd of leaf, shallow, V-shaped	1/2 of leaf, notch Y-shaped	1/3rd of leaf, notch V-shaped
Main veins	11-13	9-11	11
Inflorescence	Short raceme	Short raceme	Long raceme
Flower size	10-12 cm	10-12 cm	12-15 cm
Petal colour	Whitish or light mauve with purplish veins	Pink, whitish in the centre	Rose-purple with whitish veins
Petal morphology	Broad; overlapping	Narrow; non-overlapping	Broad; overlapping when young, non-overlapping at maturity
Fertile stamens	5	3	5
Fruit/Pod	15-25 x 1.5-2 cm	12-25 x  2-2.5 cm	Not developed (Sterile hybrid between B. variegata and B. purpurea)

Bauhinia x blakeana (a sterile hybrid between B. variegata and B. purpurea)

(Photo courtesy: Jaydip D. Gadhiya, MS University of Baroda)

CONCLUSION

Kovidar (Bauhinia purpurea), prominently featured in headlines during November 2025, is a plant historically linked to the ancient kingdom of Ayodhya and the Ramayana. The tree gained renewed attention after its depiction on the Dharma Dhwaja of the Shree Ram Temple in Ayodhya. The plant contains a range of phytochemicals, including flavonoids, alkaloids, tannins, steroids, and fatty acids. Kovidar is highly valued in traditional medicine for its ability to treat wounds, ulcers, pain, infections, jaundice, diabetes, cough, leprosy, stomach tumours, glandular swelling, and diarrhoea. Scientific studies support its antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, hepatoprotective, anti-diabetic, pain-relieving, nephroprotective, anti-ulcer, antimicrobial, antihyperlipidemic, and anticancer properties.

(TEXT IN RED COLOUR CONTAINS HYPERLINKS TO REFERENCES)