Banda City Pride - Shazar/Shajar (Dendrite Agate) Stone

Shajar was discovered about 400 years ago in Banda. The one who discovered it, was an Arab. He was mesmerized by its colorful patterns  which looks like leaves and trees and so he named it Sazar (in Arabic it means tree). Due to regional touch, Sazar became Shajar .it is called Haqiq (Akeek/Haqeek/Akik) in Urdu and Sphatic in Hindi. Because of its uniqueness and religious linkages, the stone is exported to foreign countries even today. But due to cold eye behavior of Govt., its export has been declining sharply. In fact, a very small industry of Shajar stones caters demand of local and international market. But the stone is still popular in middle-east and this ensures cent percent success of export program if promoted properly. As per the Exporters, Hajj Pilgrims from all over the world take Shajar Stone souvenirs with Quran Ayats(Quotes) at Saudi Arabia; which ironically exported from Banda through Agents The stone of glory and beauty should get its worthy praise and fame. There is need to give some major boost to the industry but without Govt.'s help it seems near impossible. In English, Shazar is known as Dendrite Agate. It is homogenous stone and found in different colors and patterns. Augites are basically of Four types:

1. Plane Augite
2. Ring Augite
3. Lenin Augite
4. Dendrite Augite

Dendrite Augite(Agate) is Shajar and is also known as Tree Augite(Agate) and Fungus Augite. It is found exclusively in Banda's Ken River. The specialty of the stone is colorful patterns of leaves, trees, mountains, animals, symbols etc. There is a local myth about Shajar . It is believed that stone prints impression of any object which lies infront of it for a long time. But its not true. There is a scientific process behind formation of images on Shajar stone. Actually, the patterns we see on Shajar are nothing but entrapped fossils of fungus( basically algae). A fungus, which is entrapped between two or more pieces of Shajar stone, produces either acid or base. This acid/base makes the stones translucent and acts as an inorganic glue which coagulates the separate stones to one. The fossils of fungus left inside the stones looks like patterns of leaves or trees and add beauty to the stone.

Facts provided are based on an interview with Shajar Exporter based in Banda. International Laguage Names:

• Persian: شذرسنگ
• Arabic: شازارالحجر
• Chinese: 沙扎入石
• Japanese:射座r 石
• Hindi: शजरकापथ्थर
• Urdu: پتھرشذر