One starts to feel the presence of Devil in Delhi during the mildly chilly months of September and October and in November the presence becomes so strong that you just cannot ignore it!!
As the night creeps in and you happen to be outside a strong syrupy smell blankets you in the chilly night. You look around and there are no flowers but as you keep moving forward the aroma becomes stronger and stronger with each step. Then suddenly, there is a blast of this sweet and heavy scent which clogs your nostrils and blocks all your thoughts until the only thing that's left in your mind is that sweet strong perfume from an unknown source.
Except it's not unkown, in the deep dark corner of your heart you know where the scent is originating from, you know who spreads such a strong perfume under the cloak of night.
And yes you are correct it's that tall tree with whorls of leaves forming a big canopy and each whorl has three to ten leaves. These big dark green leaves camouflage the greenish white bunch of tiny white flowers which although there for whole October, November and December only appear to the eyes which look up into the tree or to the eyes which look down on the ground.
This is the Devil of Delhi....The Devil's Tree or Alstonia scholaris since traditionally the wood was used to make slates for the students!! And Devil's Tree probably because it leaks a very poisonous sap which keeps all the grazing vegetarian animals away.
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| ...Tiny greenish white flowers... |
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| The Devil's Tree |
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