Description

Shorea robusta, the Sal or Sakhua tree, is a large, commercially valuable deciduous tree of the family Dipterocarpaceae, dominant in the moist tropical and subtropical forests of the northern Indian subcontinent — particularly the Terai, Bhabar, and Chhota Nagpur regions of Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, and Assam. The Sal tree holds deep cultural significance in Buddhist tradition as the tree under which Queen Maya gave birth to Siddhartha Gautama. The aromatic oleoresin — Raal or Dhuna — exudes naturally from bark wounds and is commercially collected and dried. In classical Ayurveda, Sal resin (Sarjarasa) is documented in formulations for wound healing, skin conditions, and fumigation preparations (Dhupana). The seed fat — Sal butter — is a significant economic forest product. The tree is the state tree of Jharkhand.