Tree · Anogeissus pendula

Dhok, the tree that gives the Aravalli hills their colour

धोक

Dhok is the small, crooked tree that covers the rocky Aravalli hills of Rajasthan and Braj; botanists treat it as the climax species of the range. Its leaves turn rusty red from November and fall by March, so whole hillsides go grey-brown in late winter and green again after the first monsoon rain.

The tree that gives the Aravalli hills their look: botanists treat it as the climax species of the range.

👀 How to recognise it

Small, crooked and many-stemmed, with fine drooping twigs and pale bark. The leaves turn rusty red from November and are gone by March, which is why the hills go grey-brown in late winter and green again after the first rain.

Where to see it

Govardhan

Govardhan Hill's crest is bare rock, and the UP Braj Teerth Vikas Parishad is working with the forest department across about 100 hectares to nurse the dhau bushes already rooted in its crevices into trees, with irrigation piped up the slope. Dhau was chosen because it is the hill's own native species rather than a planted import.

Govardhan Hill & Parikrama Marg

Ajmer

Its wood is among the toughest in the world and was the everyday timber of the Aravalli villages. The dried fallen leaves are swept up as goat fodder through the dry months.

Maharana Pratap Smarak & Nag Pahar Ridge · Foy Sagar Lake (Varun Sagar) (often)

Jaipur

Its wood is reckoned among the toughest in the world and was the standard fuel and tool-handle timber of the Aravalli villages; the dried fallen leaves are still collected as winter fodder for goats. In Jhalana it forms over 80 per cent of the tree cover, growing in near-pure stands on the mid-slopes.

Jhalana Leopard Reserve · Nahargarh Biological Park

Pushkar

Its timber is among the toughest in the world and was the working wood of the Aravalli villages: tool handles, fence posts, charcoal. The fallen leaves are swept up as goat fodder in the dry months.

Naga Pahar (Snake Mountain) · Pushkar Sand Dunes (often)

Names and a change of genus

In Hindi it is dhok (धोक). Around Jaipur, Ajmer and Pushkar it is also dhokra or kardhai, and in Braj dhau or dhaunk. Botanists long called it Anogeissus pendula; a 2017 revision folded the genus Anogeissus into Terminalia, so newer sources list it as Terminalia pendula. It is the same tree.

The working tree of the Aravalli villages

Dhok is a slow grower that seldom reaches 9–12 metres, and because many stems rise from the base it often stays bushy and crooked. Its wood is regarded as the third toughest timber in the world, and for generations it was the everyday material of the hill villages: tool handles, fence and roof poles, firewood and a high-heat charcoal. The bark yields a gum known as gatti, and the leaves are good fodder; the fallen ones are still swept up in the dry months for goats.

Its home is the dry hill country of Rajasthan, northern Gujarat, the Bundelkhand districts of Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh down to the Narmada, where it often forms near-pure forest and roots straight into rock crevices. On the slopes of Jhalana, on Jaipur's eastern edge, it makes up more than 80 per cent of the tree cover.

Where to see it

Any rocky Aravalli ridge will do, and the tree is there all year. In Jaipur the safari route through Jhalana Leopard Reserve runs through dhok almost the whole way, and it dominates the Nahargarh hills above the Nahargarh Biological Park. Near Ajmer the road up Nag Pahar to the Maharana Pratap memorial climbs through it, and it covers the rocky rises behind Foy Sagar. From Pushkar it is the scrub forest on Naga Pahar, the ridge towards Ajmer, and on the rocky ground behind the dunes.

On Govardhan the story is different. The hill's crest is bare rock, and in 2021 the UP Braj Teerth Vikas Parishad announced a project with the forest department, covering about 100 hectares, to nurse the dhau bushes already rooted in its crevices into trees, with water piped up the slope. Walking the parikrama, look into the crevices of the slope rather than along the road.

❓ FAQ

What is dhok called in Hindi?

Dhok (धोक). Local names include dhokra and kardhai in Rajasthan and dhau or dhaunk in Braj.

Why do the Aravalli hills look brown in winter?

Dhok, the dominant tree, turns rusty red from November and drops its leaves by March. The hills green up again after the first rain.

Where can I see dhok near Jaipur?

On the Jhalana Leopard Reserve safari route, where it forms over 80 per cent of the tree cover, and on the Nahargarh hills.

Sources (5)

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