New Delhi, April 8 -- The tamarind tree is the subject of myth and folklore. Some consider it to be the abode of spirits, while for others, it is related to stories of the Ramayana. There are also stories about this tree and its association to Lord Shiva. In Indian mythology, all stories point to the fact that earlier, the tamarind tree used to have big, well-formed leaves. It is believed that Lord Rama took shelter under a tamarind tree when he was banished from his kingdom and was in exile. Since the tree had large leaves, he felt like he wasn't doing his penance correctly. So he asked his brother, Lakshmana, to shoot an arrow at the leaves fragmenting them into the small leaves they are today. In the other story relating to Shiva, it i...