A large Himalayan cedar tree with drooping branches, also called deodar cedar, prized for its fragrant wood and used in construction and incense.
From Sanskrit 'deva-daru' meaning 'wood of the gods,' combining 'deva' (god) and 'daru' (wood or tree). The word entered English through Hindi and then botanical Latin, reflecting both the tree's sacred status in Indian cultures and its valuable qualities recognized by Western naturalists.
The Sanskrit name 'wood of the gods' reveals how ancient Indian cultures observed that this tree's resin naturally resists decay and insects—making it genuinely divine for building temples and preserving sacred texts before modern chemistry existed.
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