• Scientific Name: Elaeocarpus ganitrus
• The term is derived from words Rudra which is one of hindu Lord Shiva’s vedic names and Ak?a means ‘teardrops’. Thus, Rudraksh actually means Lord Shiva’s teardrops.
• It is a large evergreen tree, with a height of 60-80 feet and has broad-leaves. It is the seeds of the tree which are known as Rudraksh.

A tripartite Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG), INTACH (The Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage) and HCL Foundation for plantation of 10,000 Rudraksh trees in catchment area of river Ganga Basin in Uttarakhand.