Mantharai is the purple orchid tree, a small tree with two-lobed, camel-foot leaves and narrow-petalled pink-purple flowers that open in autumn while the tree is in leaf. Hindi kachnar names both this tree and its spring-flowering cousin, Bauhinia variegata, whose buds are cooked as kachnar ki kali. The Hong Kong orchid tree, the emblem of Hong Kong, is a hybrid of the two.
- Botanical name
- Bauhinia purpurea L.
- Family
- Fabaceae
- Tamil
- Mantharai
- Hindi
- Kachnar
- Sanskrit
- Kāncanāra
- Parts used
- Flowers as food in some kitchens, Bark in lists
- Habit
- Small ornamental tree with two-lobed leaves and purple autumn flowers
- Last updated
- 2026-10-27
How to recognise Mantharai
It is a small to medium deciduous tree with a rounded crown.
Each leaf is split at the tip into two rounded lobes, like a camel’s footprint or a butterfly.
The flowers have five narrow, separated, pink to purple petals and usually three fertile stamens.
It flowers from September to November, with its leaves on.
The pods are long, flat and woody, twisting open to throw seeds; Bauhinia variegata flowers on bare branches in spring and has broader petals.
Traditional use of Mantharai
Kitchen
Flower buds of kachnar trees are cooked as a spiced sabzi or pickled in North India.
North Indian food practice
Ayurveda
Kanchanara bark is used in Ayurveda, as in kanchanara guggulu, for swellings and glands.
Ayurvedic practice
Garden
It is planted as a street and garden tree for its showy flowers.
Indian urban planting practice
Modern notes on Mantharai
Studies on bark and leaf extracts are mostly laboratory work.
Kanchanara products may contain either Bauhinia purpurea or Bauhinia variegata bark.
The genus is named after the Bauhin brothers, sixteenth-century botanists, a nod to the paired leaf lobes.
Mantharai safety
Cook the flower buds before eating. Use the bark only in formulas prepared by a trained practitioner.
Ecology and sourcing
It is native from India to southern China and South-east Asia.
Bees and sunbirds visit the flowers.
It fixes nitrogen and grows on poor soil.
Related plants
Also in Fabaceae
Questions about Mantharai
Is Mantharai the same as kachnar?
Kachnar names both this and Bauhinia variegata.
Why are the leaves split?
Bauhinia leaves are two-lobed.
When does Mantharai flower?
In autumn, with leaves on.
Are the buds edible?
Kachnar buds are cooked as a vegetable.
What is the Hong Kong orchid tree?
A hybrid of this and Bauhinia variegata.
Sources
- Bauhinia purpurea L. — Plants of the World Online, Kew (search) (accessed 2026)
- Wikidata item Q3245410 (Bauhinia purpurea)
Educational page about a plant. It is not medical advice, not a diagnosis, and not an offer to sell. Traditional use is historical. If you need care, ask a licensed clinician. Questions: hello@meevamed.com.